Fired from union job in PA - can I still qualify for UC benefits?

union or non-union doesn't matter for unemployment. what matters is if u were fired for willful misconduct. attendance can be tricky. did u get warnings before? did u provide documentation for car issues?

I successfully got UC after being let go from my union position with AFSCME last year. The key factors were: 1) I had documentation of all my disciplinary actions, 2) I made sure to carefully explain my side during the initial UC application, and 3) I had my union send me a copy of the contract showing the exact violation they claimed. The union status doesn't hurt your claim at all - in fact, if your union contract has specific discipline procedures that weren't followed, that can HELP your case. Ask your union rep for a copy of the attendance policy and the full collective bargaining agreement. When UC reviews your case, they'll want to see if the employer followed their own procedures.

I got DENIED after being fired from my union job at the grocery store!!! They said I had "willful misconduct" because I missed 3 shifts in 2 months even though I called off properly each time!!! The union didn't help AT ALL during my appeal and I had to represent myself at the hearing which was TERRIFYING!!! I'm still waiting to hear back and I'm so stressed I can barely sleep!!!

Being in a union doesn't affect your eligibility for UC. I was fired from my teamsters job for similar reasons and got approved. The key is documenting EVERYTHING. In your UC application be very specific that you had documented car issues and that 10 minutes late is hardly excessive. Good luck!

They initially denied me but I won on appeal. The appeal was actually pretty straightforward - just telling my side to the referee.

Union status has no direct impact on UC eligibility. What matters is the reason for termination. For attendance issues, PA UC looks at: 1. Whether the employer had a reasonable attendance policy 2. Whether you were aware of the policy 3. Whether your absences/lateness were within your control 4. Whether you had good cause for the absences/lateness With documented car troubles and only being 10 minutes late, you have a good case that this wasn't willful misconduct. Make sure you clearly explain this when claiming benefits and provide those repair receipts if asked. However, be prepared for your employer to potentially contest your claim. Many companies automatically contest all UC claims regardless of circumstances.

my cousin got fired from his UNION construction job for something similar and they STILL got unemployment!! the whole system is rigged if you ask me. meanwhile us small business owners have to pay higher and higher UC taxes because of all these claims!!!

have u tried calling UC to check ur claim status? i waited 6 weeks after getting fired from my union job and hearing nothing, then finally got through after trying for days

Something else to consider - check if your union contract has any provisions about unemployment benefits. Some union contracts actually have supplemental unemployment benefit funds (SUB pay) that can provide additional income on top of regular UC. Also, if your company is claiming you violated the attendance policy, request a copy of your attendance records directly from HR. When I got let go from my union position, I discovered discrepancies in their records that helped my case.

After 2 weeks with no update on my UC claim I finally got through to a rep yesterday. Apparently my employer is contesting it (no surprise) but the agent said with my documentation I should be fine. Just a waiting game now!