Partners in Labor with Rick Smith

A conversation with Samara Samson SMART Local 285, Leadership Committee, OBCT International Committee

A conversation with Michael Jordan, Chief Business Officer at Payer Matrix

A conversation with Liz McElroy, Gen VP and Govt. Affairs of International Union of Painters and Allied Trades

For union members, knowledge can be a critical form of protection. Workers’ compensation, disability benefits, employment law and personal injury matters can be difficult to navigate, particularly when a worker is also facing medical treatment, lost income and uncertainty at home. Clear, timely information can help members ask better questions, avoid preventable missteps and make informed decisions for themselves and their families.“Pond Lehocky was built to stand with working people, and our connection to organized labor is personal,” said Sam Pond, founding and managing partner of Pond Lehocky Giordano. “We believe education gives workers power. By working with LaborForce Media, we can reach more union members with practical information that helps them understand their rights, protect their families and pursue the fairness and justice they deserve.”Pond’s commitment to labor is rooted in lived experience. He grew up in a union household, worked as a union laborer as a teenager and later spent years working at The Philadelphia Inquirer as a member of a mailers’ union. Those experiences helped shape a career devoted to representing injured workers and challenging systems that can leave working people feeling outmatched.Founded in 2010, Pond Lehocky Giordano has grown into one of the nation’s largest workers’ compensation and disability law firms. The firm assists injured and disabled people nationwide and provides support across areas that may intersect after a workplace injury, including workers’ compensation, Social Security disability, short- and long-term disability, employment law and personal injury. Its mission is to help as many injured and disabled people as possible through client-first advocacy, legal knowledge and compassionate service.

For nearly 20 years, Union One has worked alongside labor unions to provide voluntary income protection programs that help members and their families navigate illness, injury, disability, and loss. Today, more than three million union households have access to Union One programs through partnerships with labor organizations representing workers across nearly every craft.As Union One expands its Member Valued Programs initiative, including Home Advantage, tuition assistance, Legacy Vault, Medicare Gap Bridge solutions, and Guaranteed Acceptance Income Protection Plans, the company sought a partner with deep roots in organized labor and the ability to help educate union leaders nationwide.