What Role Do Union Welfare Funds Play in Workers’ Compensation Cases?

 Posted on June 28, 2021 in Workers' Compensation

Most employees who are injured while working or who have suffered negative health conditions because of their jobs will qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits will ensure that a person receives the necessary medical care, and they can also help address a person’s loss of income due to a temporary or permanent disability. In addition to these benefits, union workers may have other options for receiving assistance, including payments made through a union welfare fund.

What Is a Union Welfare Fund?

Unions allow workers to utilize collective bargaining to ensure that they have certain rights and benefits. Collective bargaining agreements may address wages, work schedules, paid leave, and rules that apply to employers and employees. Workers who join a union and receive these benefits will usually be required to pay union dues. These dues may be put toward a union welfare fund that provides different types of benefits for union members.

Many union welfare funds provide health insurance plans, life insurance, and other benefits for workers. These funds may also provide disability benefits for those who have suffered workplace injuries or other health issues that affect their ability to work. An injured union worker may receive a stipend to help them address the loss of income due to an injury, or short-term or long-term disability benefits may be available to be paid on a weekly or monthly basis. In some cases, unemployment benefits may be available for union workers who are unable to return to their previous jobs after being injured, or a person may receive pension benefits if their injury forces them to take an early retirement. A union welfare fund may also provide benefits to the dependents of a worker who was killed in a work-related accident.

The benefits provided through a union welfare fund can be invaluable since disability benefits received through workers’ comp will only pay a percentage of what a person would have been able to earn if they had not been injured. By working with union representatives and an attorney who understands California’s workers’ compensation laws, union employees can ensure that they will have the financial resources they need following an injury or work-related illness.

Contact Our Morgan Hill Workers’ Comp Attorneys for Union Employees

Even though you may have the opportunity to receive additional benefits for a work injury as a union member, you will still want to make sure you are taking the right steps when filing a workers’ compensation claim. The attorneys of Cramer & Martinez, LLP will help you gather and submit the correct information, and we will provide you with legal representation to ensure that benefits are not unfairly denied to you. To get legal help following a work-related injury, contact our Gilroy workers’ compensation lawyers today at 408-848-1113 to set up a complimentary consultation.

Sources:

https://www.dir.ca.gov/dwc/wcfaqiw.html

https://teamster.org/national-health-and-welfare-fund/