South Fulton Local 3920 members will receive at least $2,000 in backpay after a Georgia arbitrator ruled in favor of fire fighters in a grievance dispute over a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).
The ruling highlights the value of contract language negotiated into Georgia’s first IAFF collective bargaining agreement, including provisions designed to protect wages and benefits while negotiations for a successor agreement are underway.
“We appreciate the IAFF’s assistance in getting the protective clauses into our contract which made this positive decision possible,” Local 3920 President David Roseboro said. “All we wanted was what already had been agreed upon via the contract. And that has been upheld.”
The City of South Fulton awarded all city employees a 4% COLA in January 2025. Despite contract language, which stipulates any benefits or incentives such as new holidays or wage increases given to city employees would also be given to the fire fighters, the COLA was not added to fire fighter pay.
Local 3920 members filed a grievance, and under an arbitration provision added to the contract in 2023, the dispute proceeded to arbitration.
South Fulton officials argued the contract expired in December 2024; therefore, the clause requiring fire fighters to receive matching benefits and incentive increases provided to city employees was no longer applicable.
However, there is a renewal clause in the contract that says the provisions of the contract will renew annually until a new agreement is reached.
After hearing the facts, the arbitrator ruled that “the city violated the agreement by not providing bargaining unit fire fighters with the 4% COLA” and that the “proper remedy is for the City to pay the COLA increase to bargaining unit members with a retroactive effective date of the date.”
“Congratulations to our Local 3920 members on this positive arbitration outcome,” 12th District Vice President Walt Dix said. “With some support from the IAFF, they worked hard to get this protective language into their contract. Having clear language on compensation, benefits, and arbitration has served them well in this case. “
