One Small Step for Equal Rights

Washington DC, USA

Lilly Ledbetter may not be a household name, but she stood today in the White House and watched President Obama sign off on an equal-pay law that's named for her.

For 19 years, Ms. Ledbetter worked for Goodyear Tire and Rubber. All the while, she was paid 15%-40% less than her male coworkers. Performing the same job for which Lilly received 3,727$ a month, Goodyear's male employees were paid anywhere from $4,286-$5,236 a month. She never would have known, but for an anonymous letter left in her mailbox containing documentation of the pay discrepancy.

In 1998, Ledbetter filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Co mission. The EEOC and a jury sided with her, and she was awarded 360,000$ in back pay. However, a federal appeals court later threw out her claim on the grounds that it had not been made quickly enough. According to law at the time, such complaints needed to be filed within 180 days of the first discriminatory paycheck. The case escalated over the years until it was brought before the Supreme Court, where Ledbetter was defeated 5-4.

With her legal options exhausted, Ledbetter appealed to Capitol Hill for legislation. Earlier today, 10 years after she filed her claim, she was vindicated; President Obama signed the The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act. Under the new law, employees have until 180 days after their last discriminating paycheck to file a complaint, not their first. Employees like Ledbetter, who discover the discrimination only after they retire, will now have a chance to recoup all of their losses.

As for Lilly Ledbetter, she feels that this battle has been well worth fighting, saying "Goodyear will never have to pay me what it cheated me out of. In fact, I will never see a cent from my case. But with the president's signature today, I have an even richer reward. I know that my daughter and granddaughters ... will have a better deal. That's what makes this fight worth fighting."

For details, visit http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/29/obama.fair.pay/index.html

Thanks to The Bruce Goose for alerting us to this good news!