Fare Strike
Encyclopedia
A fare strike is a direct action
in which people in a city with a public transit system carry out mass fare evasion
as a method of protest. Jumping turnstiles, boarding buses through the back or very quickly through the front, and leaving doors open in subway stations are all tactics that have been utilized. In some cases, transit operators obstruct the fare box to prevent anyone from paying. Often fare strikes are used to protest against fare hikes and service cuts, but they can also seek to organize solidarity between riders and drivers.
when "streetcar workers threatened to refuse to collect fares in order to win a pay increase." The action was effective because "the City Council gave in before they actually used the tactic." These kinds of "social strikes," which are collective acts of refusal where workers continue to provide services – in this case transit – but refuse to collect any money, have occurred in France
and parts of Latin America
. In 1969, Italy
's "Hot Autumn" was sparked at FIAT
's Mirafiori plant in Turin
, and spilled past the factory gates as workers coordinated movements using other forms of the social strike: FIAT workers refused to pay for the trams and buses, and also went into stores to demand reductions in prices, backed only by showing their factory ID badges. Others squatted houses and collectively refused to pay utility bills. These kinds of struggles spread throughout Italy until the end of the 1970s.
Another type of social strike occurred during the 1970 postal strike in the U.S. when "letter carriers promised to deliver welfare checks even while on strike." In 2004, much like in the 1944 example in Cleveland, the Chicago
group Midwest Unrest
was able to organize a fare strike that forced the Chicago Transit Authority
to back down on service cuts and fare increases. In 2005, at least 5,000 riders participated in the first ever fare strike in Vancouver, Canada.
In San Francisco in 2005, "Despite heavy police presence at major bus transfer points, at least a couple thousand passengers rode the buses for free in San Francisco on Thursday, September 1st - the opening day of a fare strike in North America's most bus-intensive city." Two of the main groups involved in organizing this were Muni Social Strike and Muni Fare Strike. Other community groups also participated, including the Chinese Progressive Association and "the one major extension of the strike, through the participation of the day laborers' organization ... among [the] Spanish-speaking immigrant" working class in San Francisco's Mission District, where the strike was most successful.
In the United Kingdom
, there were fare strikes against First Great Western
in January 2007 and January 2008.
In Montreal, striking students in 2005 often used the subway as a means of transportation during demonstrations. As a group, the demonstration would enter the subway without paying, usually while chanting "metro populaire".
Direct action
Direct action is activity undertaken by individuals, groups, or governments to achieve political, economic, or social goals outside of normal social/political channels. This can include nonviolent and violent activities which target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the direct action...
in which people in a city with a public transit system carry out mass fare evasion
Evasion (law)
In law, the Doctrine of Evasion is a fundamental public policy. Whereas a person may legitimately plan his or her affairs so as to avoid the incidence of obligations or liabilities imposed by the law, no-one is allowed to evade the operation of otherwise mandatory provisions once duties and...
as a method of protest. Jumping turnstiles, boarding buses through the back or very quickly through the front, and leaving doors open in subway stations are all tactics that have been utilized. In some cases, transit operators obstruct the fare box to prevent anyone from paying. Often fare strikes are used to protest against fare hikes and service cuts, but they can also seek to organize solidarity between riders and drivers.
History
The first historical mention of a fare strike in the United States was in 1944 in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
when "streetcar workers threatened to refuse to collect fares in order to win a pay increase." The action was effective because "the City Council gave in before they actually used the tactic." These kinds of "social strikes," which are collective acts of refusal where workers continue to provide services – in this case transit – but refuse to collect any money, have occurred in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and parts of Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. In 1969, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's "Hot Autumn" was sparked at FIAT
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
's Mirafiori plant in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, and spilled past the factory gates as workers coordinated movements using other forms of the social strike: FIAT workers refused to pay for the trams and buses, and also went into stores to demand reductions in prices, backed only by showing their factory ID badges. Others squatted houses and collectively refused to pay utility bills. These kinds of struggles spread throughout Italy until the end of the 1970s.
Another type of social strike occurred during the 1970 postal strike in the U.S. when "letter carriers promised to deliver welfare checks even while on strike." In 2004, much like in the 1944 example in Cleveland, the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
group Midwest Unrest
Midwest Unrest
Midwest Unrest was a small collective in Chicago formed by anarchists and anti-capitalists in a planning meeting for that city's mobilization to the protests against the Free Trade Area of the Americas summit in Miami in November 2003...
was able to organize a fare strike that forced the Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
to back down on service cuts and fare increases. In 2005, at least 5,000 riders participated in the first ever fare strike in Vancouver, Canada.
In San Francisco in 2005, "Despite heavy police presence at major bus transfer points, at least a couple thousand passengers rode the buses for free in San Francisco on Thursday, September 1st - the opening day of a fare strike in North America's most bus-intensive city." Two of the main groups involved in organizing this were Muni Social Strike and Muni Fare Strike. Other community groups also participated, including the Chinese Progressive Association and "the one major extension of the strike, through the participation of the day laborers' organization ... among [the] Spanish-speaking immigrant" working class in San Francisco's Mission District, where the strike was most successful.
In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, there were fare strikes against First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
in January 2007 and January 2008.
In Montreal, striking students in 2005 often used the subway as a means of transportation during demonstrations. As a group, the demonstration would enter the subway without paying, usually while chanting "metro populaire".
External links
- San Francisco transit fight Article from Z Magazine on the first day of the San Francisco fare strike by Tom Wetzel