(A) An employee in the telephone industry who is granted or has previously been granted a leave of absence for union management relations requiring the employee's absence from regular duties with the employee's employer shall have such period of absence or any continuance of such absence for union management relations beyond the expiration of the leave of absence counted by the employer as the equivalent of service performed for the employer for the purpose of determining benefits and seniority of the employee.
(B) For the purpose of determining benefits and seniority, this section shall also apply to all employees currently on leave of absence on the effective date of this section, and to all former employees who prior to the effective date of this section, had been on leave of absence for two years or more.