Lj, true, but I also know aircrew, retired at an option point, spent the pot of gold, rejoined as children approached secondary school age, got BSA.
Or one even, through some leger de main, if I got it right from a fellow ppruner, got the time out credited to his ultimate pension pot.
Yes, the unions are a powerful force for 'good'. My much smaller one was on the coat tails but still able to stand up for its members. There is an awful lot to be said for a representative outside the management chain.