Article IX Section 12 of the BOCES-FISP Collective Bargaining Agreement defines the Sick Bank:

A. The "'bank" exists to assist a qualified bargaining unit member, regardless of whether a member of the St. Lawrence-Lewis Counties BOCES F.I.S.P., who has exhausted his or her, accumulated sick leave and is faced with a catastrophic illness or injury, long-tem in nature. 

• Examples: cardiac bypass surgery; serious automobile accident; cancer; or, extreme complications arising from childbirth. 

• It is not the purpose of the bank to be used for common cold or flu; child-rearing; common family illnesses; elective or cosmetic surgery; uncomplicated maternity disability; or, minor illnesses or disabilities of any kind. 

• Leave from the bank will be available for serious personal and serious family illness as defined by the FMLA. It may be granted to an individual who is a bargaining unit member, who has donated sick days to the sick leave bank, and who can substantiate his or her request with a doctor's statement of illness. 

• Applications for sick leave bank benefits shall be made in writing to the bank's executive committee and shall be accompanied by a copy of his or her attendance record for the past three (3) years. These records are available, upon request, from the unit member's immediate supervisor. 

B. Eligibility to Join

• Any unit member electing to join the sick leave bank shall submit the appropriate application form to the Secretary of the Federation at the first meeting in September or by the second pay period. Newly employed unit members will submit the same application within thirty (30) days of being hired.

• Each individual electing to join shall donate two (2) days of accumulated sick leave. All donated days must come from current accumulated leaves, and each member will donate an equal number of days.

• Should unit member become ill prior to electing to join the sick leave bank, that unit member is not eligible to draw from the bank for said illness.