Laid off as a union painter after 3 years: Seeking legal advice and next steps

I was laid off as a union painter in December 2025 after being with the company for three years. I've been in the painting industry for 21 years, primarily focusing on industrial work. During my time there, I would receive weekly texts about available work, usually every Friday, but the winter months were always slow. After my unemployment benefits ended, I reached out to the owner and my supervisor multiple times over the course of five months, asking about potential work opportunities. I was told that painting jobs were scarce and that they would contact me when things picked up. Three weeks later, I followed up again, inquiring if I should start looking for another job. To my surprise, I received a response from the same person who had previously assured me that work would come. This time, I was informed that I would no longer be needed because I supposedly wasn't good at my job, lacked attention to detail, and that others had to clean up after me. This was shocking to me, as I had never received any negative feedback during my tenure and had always been praised for my work ethic and performance. Now I'm left wondering if this is even legal. Shouldn't I have received some form of discipline or warning before being let go? I'm considering hiring a lawyer to discuss my situation further. I'm 60 years old and live in Ohio, so I'm feeling quite lost and unsure about my next steps.

Job title: union painter

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