The correct answer is B) They locked workers out of the property and refused to pay them.
The tactic used by companies when workers formed a union was "They locked workers out of the property and refused to pay them."
In the history of labor unions in the United States, it is common to read that none employer liked the idea of workers unionizing to fight and demand better salaries and working conditions. To the opposite, employers looked for ways to counterattack the formation of unions. If a worker decided to enter and be part of a union, the owner of the company put the name of the worker on a blacklist to avoid other companies would hire it.