My union had it's own pension plan rather than an employer provided plan. Since it was a union pension fund our officers were a part of the same plan as the members they represented. Because of that we did not have a situation such as the one in the article.

That said, I want to be clear that I do not defend corrupt practices by union officials. I am very pro-union and pro-labor but I also know from personal experience that we do indeed have some real snakes in our ranks. Because of that I have always supported rank and file efforts to clean up our unions and make them the democratic organizations that they should be.