Ok my husband worked for a company for 42 years they are now closed but he was in the union there all that time , he was talking to someone and they told him he should be getting a pension from them , wanting to know how to go about this if this is true. and does he have to be retired to get it?

Where are you located. US, Canada or other. This is an international site. Should you not be contacting his Union steward?

All things considered, yes, pensions come with retirement.