"I was hurt in Chicago and the union said I need to hire the attorney they recommended or I won't get benefits. Is that true?"

A laborer asked us this question recently.  We have been surprised by the number of union workers who are told that they "have" to hire a certain attorney.

The answer is that this is not true.  Nothing about being in a union changes how a case gets handled.  Unlike employment law agreements (e.g. how many hours a week you can work, having a hearing process for firing someone, etc.), a union agreement with an employer can't change how the law is enforced.  Some employers and unions have tried to limit the benefits that members can receive and this has been thrown out of court.

Why would a union steward tell you that you have to hire a certain attorney?  A reasonable guess is that they are getting something out of it.  We are certainly aware of law firms that regularly "entertain" union officials with golf outings, tickets to sporting events, trips and even gifts.  We've heard rumors of some firms providing illegal financial kickbacks.

Some of the attorneys the union tells you that you have to hire are outstanding and others are not.  We hear from a lot of clients that they felt the attorney was more concerned about the union boss than them as an actual injured client.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the union telling you that they think attorney X is a good lawyer or having them suggest multiple firms for you (that happens with us by the way).  But for them to tell you that you must hire a certain law firm is false and certainly implies that they are looking out for themselves, not for you.   That simply doesn't happen in strong union organizations that really care about their members.