[5B] The Building / Union Analysis
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Company signs on the Triangle Building are visible in both "Fire Fighters" ("Clothing Specialists," "Men's Clothing," "Harris Bros." and "Suits" are amongst the more legible) as well as "Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Building", in which "Triangle Waist Company" can just be read on the uppermost sign. The Triangle Shirtwaist Company was not the only clothing factory in the building, but it was the only one still working at 4:30 pm on a Saturday. The Uprising of the 20,000 had forced many factories to settle with the unions on a 54-hour week. However, the Triangle workers had refused to do so. As a result, they were the only workers left in the building when the fire broke out on 25 March 1911.