Disclosed is a data processing system implemented method, a data processing system and an article of manufacture for executing a query having a union operator. A data processing system implemented method direct the data processing system to execute a query against a database having data objects. The query has sub-queries and having a union operator. The union operator is operable on sub-queries associated with the query. The database is operatively coupled to the data processing system. The data processing system implemented method including grouping the sub-queries of the union operator according to identified structural similarities, the identified structural similarities being based on an analysis of the sub-queries, grouping the data objects of the database according to the grouped sub-queries, replacing the grouped data objects and any sub-queries associated with the grouped data objects with a reference to a representative data object and a representative sub-query, and accessing at least one member of the grouped data objects, the accessing of the at least one member of the grouped data object being based on the reference.