IMPLEMENTATION OF
SICK LEAVE BANK

The MBTA Inspectors Union and the MBTA have implemented a Sick Leave Bank for employees in the bargaining unit represented by the Local 600. The purpose of the Sick Leave Bank is to benefit employees of the bargaining unit affected by documented, non-­work related long-term illness or disability and who have exhausted all paid personal leave, including sick, vacation and personal days. The annual enrollment period will be from January 1st through January 31st. No applications will be accepted after that period.

All forms are available from the Local 600 office or can be downloaded in PDF format (links in box at right.)

THE SICK LEAVE BANK COMMITTEE

The Sick Leave Bank committee shall be comprised of three (3) members - all of whom shall be appointed by the President of OPEIU Local 600.

Except as otherwise provided, the committee shall make all rules and regulations for the operation of the Sick Leave Bank and shall have final and binding authority to make any and all decisions regarding acceptance or rejection of applications for benefits. The decisions of the committee are not subject to grievances under the collective bargaining agreement or any other forum of appeal, including any administrative or judicial appeals.

The committee shall determine all standards for eligibility, including adopting all definitions of qualifying illness, injury, impairment, physical or mental conditions.

WAIVER OF RIGHTS AND INDEMNIFICATION

In order to participate in the Sick Leave Bank program set forth above, each applicant must sign the Membership Application Form in which each participant acknowledges the certifications required for participation and eligibility as well as acknowledgement that each participant is bound by the final and binding decision of the Sick Leave Bank Committee, that the participant has no rights to appeal any decision of the Sick Leave Bank Committee in any forum for any reason including but not limited to the grievance procedures under collective bargaining agreement between Local 600 and the MBTA, any administrative agency or any judicial forum. Each participant must further agree to indemnify and hold harmless the MBTA, OPEIU Local 600 and any officers, employees, agents or members of such parties from any action brought by any party from any matter arising out of the receipt, use or participation in any way in the Local 600 Group Sick Leave Bank.

Provision for Implementation of the Sick Leave Bank:

1. Any member of the Local 600 in good standing may apply for membership in the Sick Leave Bank and, upon approval of said application, may contribute sick days to the Sick Leave Bank.
2. The member must contribute sick days to the Sick Leave Bank in order to be eligible to withdraw from the Sick Leave Bank.
3. The member must initially contribute a minimum of three (3) days to join the Sick Leave Bank. Members may contribute a maximum of ten (10) days per year to the Sick Leave Bank. All donations are irrevocable.
4. Once the member joins the Sick Leave Bank, a minimum one (1) day will be automatically deducted from the member's accumulated sick leave during the first week of January each year. A member must notify the Committee in writing of their intent to withdraw enrollment in the Sick Leave Bank by December 15 of the previous year.
5. Those members who make a donation to the Sick Leave Bank will not have the donation adversely affect his or her eligibility for one (1) day of personal leave per year. It will not be subtracted when calculating whether the member has fifty percent (50%) of his/her sick leave unused.
6. A person must have exhausted all of his/her own sick leave, personal days and vacation time to apply for sick leave from the Sick Leave Bank.
7. A member must have a long-term illness in order to be eligible for days to be drawn from the Sick Leave Bank.
8. The Committee's decision shall be final and be based on an assessment of eligibility and need, as well as its responsibility to prioritize claims and preserve the Sick Leave Bank as a viable source of income and supplementation for all its eligible union members.
9. The Sick Leave Bank Committee in making a decision of withdrawal eligibility will review a member's sick leave history.
10. The Chairman of the Sick Leave Bank Committee will receive quarterly updates from the Authority to confirm membership and accuracy of numbers.
11. The Committee's vote to grant or deny an application for sick leave days must be comprised of three (3) out of four (4) votes.
12. The Committee may grant a request of days in any amount. An individual member who is awarded days from the Sick Leave Bank will not be allowed to exceed ten percent (10%) of the Sick Leave Bank's assets per illness, up to a maximum of thirty (30) days, unless agreed upon by a unanimous vote of the Committee.
13. When a member of the Sick Leave Bank returns to work prior to exhausting all of the contributed days, the unused contribution will be withdrawn and returned to the Sick Leave Bank.