Can my deceased dad's pension plan be granted to me? 2 Answers as of December 27, 2011

My dad started a pension plan through his bricklayer's union 30 years ago when I was born. He recently passed away and I am his only child. He divorced my mom 25 years ago and never re-married. The union was supposed to send me a packet so that I could send in his death certificate as well as my birth certificate etc to prove the relationship. Upon calling to check on the status they told me that the pension benefits could only be granted to a spouse and that since there is no spouse the benefits will go to no one. I feel very uncomfortable just letting this go as it is a substantial amount of money. Is this true or are there exceptions with pension plans? What steps should I take?