A Chicago policy requiring firefighters in the city to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 has been upheld by an arbitrator.

“The City is pleased that a neutral arbitrator selected by both parties upheld the City’s right to issue a vaccine mandate to its employees,” a spokeswoman for the city's legal department said Wednesday, according to The Chicago Tribune.

“The arbitrator further upheld the City’s right to place employees who do not become vaccinated by the deadline in a no-pay status.”

The decision follows Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's (D) policy in August that mandated that all Chicago city employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Dec. 31. 

Following that decision, unions — including one that represents the city's firefighters — successfully argued that collective bargaining agreements entitled them to arbitration for the issue, the Tribune reported. 

The arbitrator's decision on Wednesday, however, means that the employees will have until the end of the month to receive their first dose and until Jan. 31 to get the second should their vaccine require two shots.

Employees who remain unvaccinated and do not have a medical or religious exemption will lose pay, the newspaper added. 

Lightfoot previously called for city employees to report their vaccination status by Oct. 15, another decision that was met with protests from some firefighters and police officers in Chicago.

Dozens of firefighters and paramedics were sent away from work and placed on no-pay status for refusing to report their vaccination status per the requirement at that time, according to the Tribune. 

The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police has also sued the city over vaccination mandates. While a county judge suspended the Dec. 31 vaccination deadline for unionized Chicago police officers, that issue will be handled in arbitration starting Dec. 27, the Tribune added.

The Hill has reached out to the Chicago Fire Department for comment.