You are confused with the terminology. The 765 are not on VFLR, they were on various voluntary furlough (VF) programs offered over the years. When the programs expired, they were able to stay on a leave, with no longevity past the term of the VF. They will come back with seniority intact, and longevity up to the duration of the original VF. They are now referring to this as the EXL list, which should aleviate the confusion with VFLR. To clarify, Whatnow, when one returns they return to the current contract, so when we say they do not lose pay and vacation, we mean aside from what has been negotiated. They are not getting anything above or beyond than their peers, in fact likely less pay than someone who was active the whole time.
The VFLR program is Voluntary Furlough Limited Return. This was a buyout designed to be a complete seperation from the company. However, it was realized that these people would be denied unemployment if seen to have voluntarily completely left the company, so it was rewritten as a 'furlough', with return only as a new hire. When the invol and vol list are exhausted, before new hires, these F/As will be offered jobs in seniority order with the seniority and pay scale of a new hire F/A. In fact, they appear on the current seniority list under the very last 2001 hired F/A. It was written this way as a technicality, the idea of any of them coming back as a new hire (especially to this place) is pretty far fetched, but it will be offered as per the contract language.
Also, there seems to be a lot of confusion about seniority vs. longevity. No furlough F/A loses their seniority (excluding the above described VFLR, which is different). Your seniority never changes, if someone senior to you returns from a furlough, vol or invol, they are still senior to you for all purposes like bidding etc. Longevity is another thing. Longevity is how much time a F/A is credited for pay purposes. Vol furlough F/As accrued longevity for a period of time depending on the specific program they were part of. Invol furlough F/As do not accrue longevity while inactive. However, the incompetent and inconsistent AFA managed to negotiate for East F/As who flew on the Embraer division of East (referred to as MidAtlantic, but same certificate, same airline as US Airways Inc, or 'mainline') to, oddly, bring mainline longevity to MDA but not have longevity from time served in the division honored 'back at mainline'. Meanwhile, a furloughed East F/A who accepted a new hire position at America West while it was still a seperate airline brough no longevity to HP, but will have longevity from both US Airways and America West honored if anyone ever bothers to integrate the two. Talk about confusing, and well, just overall stupid, but look who we are talking about.
Personally, I'm all for them burning through the list until there is just an active list. I'd rather have the list fall into place where it will than have what amounts to whole bases or even small airlines worth of F/As not working but on the master seniority list. More than two-thirds of those lists are people who have long moved on anyway. I also happen to be a fan of receiving a guarantee from an inefficiently staffed company whilst only having to make the occasional appearance in manner of an exciting celebrity guest star or perhaps goodwill ambassador visiting third world country. Actually, I'd happily take a voluntary furlough myself if one were on offer.
You'd have my vote for PHL LEC Pres!
Thanks for the clarification.
