The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) was created by the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 as an independent agency to mediate labor-management disputes and prevent strikes that could affect interstate commerce. It provides free mediation, arbitration, and training services to unions and employers. Unlike the NLRB, the FMCS does not adjudicate rights violations — it brings parties to the table when negotiations break down. Its independence from the Labor Department is intentional: Congress designed it as a neutral third party trusted by both labor and management.