My buddy that works there says the same thing. According to him, they are pathetically understaffed now, and even with the furloughees back, the summer is going to be pure hell due to inadequate staffing. He maintains that CAL didn't need to furlough in the first place, and simply did it for contract posturing, and the furlough/displacement/retraining costs are going to end up being more than if they had just kept the pilots. On top of that, he seems to think that they'll be lucky to get 2/3 of the furloughees back. I don't know about hiring in the fall, but he seems to think they will. One thing is for sure, in about 2 1/2 years, when the age 65 hits and the retirements start, they will be hiring like holy hell because that will be combined with getting a bunch of new airframes. He tells me that when age 65 hits, CAL will lose 58% of its pilot group in 8 years. They are going to be getting some new airframes toward the end of the year, and most likely would be getting them now had it not been for the Boeing strike, so that's the only forseeable reason to hire IMO, but of course, I don't work there and everything I'm hearing is secondhand.
I will say this, though.....despite what's been on the message boards, rumor mills, etc....my buddy has almost always been right in his CAL predictions. I'm keeping my fingers crossed b/c he's trying to get me on there, and the sooner they start hiring again, the sooner I have a chance.
Good luck guys!! I hope ya'll are back there in the next couple of months.