--disable_warnings DROP TABLE IF EXISTS t1,t2; --enable_warnings --disable_abort_on_error CREATE TABLE t1 ( PNUM BIGINT, EMPNUM BIGINT, HOURS BIGINT ); CREATE TABLE t2 like t1; INSERT INTO t1 VALUES(1,1,1), (12,12,12), (80,80,80); INSERT INTO t1 VALUES(2,2,2); # Only the second query is between parentheses --> Error SELECT PNUM FROM t1 UNION (SELECT PNUM FROM t2); # Both queries are between parentheses --> OK (SELECT PNUM FROM t1) UNION (SELECT PNUM FROM t2); # Both queries between parentheses, second query contains UNION --> Error (SELECT PNUM FROM t1) UNION ALL (SELECT PNUM FROM t2 UNION SELECT PNUM FROM t1); # slightly modified original NIST test case SELECT PNUM,EMPNUM,HOURS FROM t1 WHERE HOURS=12 UNION ALL (SELECT PNUM,EMPNUM,HOURS FROM t1 UNION SELECT PNUM,EMPNUM,HOURS FROM t1 WHERE HOURS=80) ORDER BY 2,1;