text: The first historical mention of a fare strike in the U.S. was in 1944 in Cleveland when "streetcar workers threatened to refuse to collect fares in order to win a pay increase," which 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 vital social services -- in this case transit -- but refuse to collect any money, have occurred in France and parts of Latin America.