Firefighters angry over proposed 1% raise

WXIA TV

November 5, 2004

Reported by: John Shirek

Atlanta firefighters are fighting mad that they are getting only one-percent pay raises, while the police are getting four-percent raises in the mayor’s proposed budget for next year.

“The firefighters feel like they’ve been betrayed,” said James Daws of the Atlanta Professional Firefighters Union.

Atlanta firefighters say Mayor Shirley Franklin is the one who betrayed them by promising them big raises after they helped her to office.

“She has walked away from firefighters. She's turned her back on us, and really betrayed those promises,” Daws said.

“I didn't make any promises on salary. I'm sorry they feel that way,” Franklin countered. “I feel betrayed for them to suggest that I made a commitment based on something that I couldn't possibly have made a commitment to.”

Franklin said she gave firefighters a four-percent raise last year. She increased staffing, bought them more and better equipment, and, she says, the fire chief never asked her for pay raises for next year.

Firefighters are asking the Atlanta City Council to intervene.

Atlanta firefighters make less than $31,000 to start. A one-percent pay raise would take them to just over $31,000. Atlanta police make $33,500 to start and after a four-percent pay raise, they would make nearly $35,000.

Some council members are talking about giving police less in order to give firefighters more so that everyone gets about the same raise.

Franklin insists she will not budge and said that the city cannot afford to give firefighters big pay raises every year.

“They work hard, and I appreciate their hard work. They are brave and courageous and I appreciate that. But they are not the only city employees who are brave and courageous,” Franklin said.

The city council is scheduled to pass a tentative city budget for next year on November 15, with or without the pay raises.

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