Final answer:
The correct answer is option 1. The appropriate step for a trucking company that believes a union has violated federal labor law is to file a complaint with the NLRB. This board investigates unfair labor practices and enforces compliance with labor laws, providing a proper avenue for the resolution of labor disputes.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a trucking company believes a union has violated federal labor law, the appropriate step to take is to file a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The NLRB is established to enforce labor laws in the United States and to investigate allegations of unfair labor practices.
The process of resolution typically involves an investigation following the complaint, where the NLRB will determine if there has been a violation of the National Labor Relations Act. Other options, such as holding a meeting with the union representatives, terminating the union's contract, or taking legal action, may be pursued but should follow NLRB procedures and guidance to ensure legal compliance and avoid escalating the conflict.
The NLRB provides a path for dispute resolution that can involve negotiation, mediation, or litigation, but always within the framework of federal regulations geared towards balancing the interests of employers, employees, and unions.
An example of federal intervention in labor disputes includes the use of the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947, also known as the Taft-Hartley Act, where a court can impose an 80-day "cooling-off period" to facilitate negotiations without work stoppages, as seen in the 2015 dispute involving longshoremen. This law and others seek to maintain a fair and functioning relationship between labor and management.