Originally Posted by
FL370esq
Actually, the group, as a whole, did not know there would be that contingent vacancy when the AE closed so they might not have bid for it, unlike a category vacancy where the whole seniority list is presumed to know there is a vacancy because that vacancy has been posted.
Again, this seems to follow with 22.E.10 which states, "If no pilot bids on a First Officer category vacancy, the Company may assign an entry level pilot to fill the vacancy." No mention is made of a contingent vacancy. If that unfilled contingent.vacancy remains, the Company can (and likely will) post it on the next AE...unless they are trying to shrink a category and then it vaporizes.
A contingent vacancy is a vacancy in a category and thus a category vacancy. Nowhere does it say category vacancy is only through an AE posting or otherwise define it. In fact there is also the option to add positions from pilots terminated, designed or on a long term absence by filling them with an AE in progress.