Obama Signs First Law: The Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
After signing a slew of Executive Orders, President Barack Obama has added his John Hancock to the first bona fide collaborative effort with Congress. The law, The Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, seeks to right the injustice in the case of Lilly Ledbetter, who received a lesser salary than her male counterparts simply because of her gender. Nan Aron, President of Alliance for Justice, has graciously sent us the following letter to help detail this important legislation:Lilly Ledbetter rode the train on President-elect Barack Obama's whistlestop tour before the Inauguration. She was at the Democratic National Convention, and she was there today at the White House when President Obama signed his first bill into law, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.Lilly has traveled a long way from Gadsden, Alabama, where she lives and once worked for Goodyear Tire & Rubber. After decades at Goodyear, Lilly discovered that she'd been paid less than her male coworkers for years. She took the company to court to get the pay she'd earned, and the jury agreed that she deserved justice. But Goodyear fought back, so Lilly took another trip, to hear her case argued before the Supreme Court.Instead of standing up for equal pay for equal work, the Court, led by newly-appointed Chief Justice John Roberts, ruled 5-4 against Lilly. The 2006 decision rejected long-standing legal precedent, but also plain old common sense. They said Lilly should have filed her claim within 180 days of receiving her first unfair paycheck, whether or not she knew it was discriminatory. As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg pointed out, the "Court does not understand, or is indifferent to, the insidious way in which women can be victims of pay discrimination."
Embedded video from CNN VideoLilly wasn't the only one who suffered as a result of this ruling. Ledbetter v. Goodyear has been cited almost 350 times in courts across the country. The decision has been used to deny justice in cases on age discrimination, housing for the disabled, and access to sports programs for women athletes.Lilly's journey had just begun. She became an outspoken advocate for fair pay, working the halls of Capitol Hill to urge passage of the law that bears her name. Not because it will help her-the Supreme Court ruling closed Lilly's case-but to take a stand for the millions who are denied justice every day. The Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is a "Supreme Court fix" designed to undo the damage done by the Court's decision by making the language of the law in question absolutely clear. The new law takes us back to where we were before the Court's disastrous decision: each unfair paycheck will be treated as a separate discriminatory act. Instead of having to file suit before you even know that you are being treated unfairly, you have 180 days from your last paycheck to take action.Lilly and her allies in Congress spent two years fighting for this law, against filibusters, a hostile Bush White House, and massive lobbying by corporations. In spite of loss and personal sacrifice, her journey has earned her a place not just in the law books, but in the history books.How fitting that the first law signed by the nation's first African-American president stands up for justice for all. Finally, we have an administration committed to equality, progress, and the rights of people who work hard every day.Lilly has traveled a long way, and we can take the next steps in the journey with her. Ask your Senators to support the Paycheck Fairness Act and help all Americans win justice at work.
After signing a slew of Executive Orders, President Barack Obama has added his John Hancock to the first bona fide collaborative effort with Congress. The law, The Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, seeks to right the injustice in the case of Lilly Ledbetter, who received a lesser salary than her male counterparts simply because of her gender. Nan Aron, President of Alliance for Justice, has graciously sent us the following letter to help detail this important legislation:Lilly Ledbetter rode the train on President-elect Barack Obama's whistlestop tour before the Inauguration. She was at the Democratic National Convention, and she was there today at the White House when President Obama signed his first bill into law, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.Lilly has traveled a long way from Gadsden, Alabama, where she lives and once worked for Goodyear Tire & Rubber. After decades at Goodyear, Lilly discovered that she'd been paid less than her male coworkers for years. She took the company to court to get the pay she'd earned, and the jury agreed that she deserved justice. But Goodyear fought back, so Lilly took another trip, to hear her case argued before the Supreme Court.Instead of standing up for equal pay for equal work, the Court, led by newly-appointed Chief Justice John Roberts, ruled 5-4 against Lilly. The 2006 decision rejected long-standing legal precedent, but also plain old common sense. They said Lilly should have filed her claim within 180 days of receiving her first unfair paycheck, whether or not she knew it was discriminatory. As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg pointed out, the "Court does not understand, or is indifferent to, the insidious way in which women can be victims of pay discrimination."Embedded video from CNN VideoLilly wasn't the only one who suffered as a result of this ruling. Ledbetter v. Goodyear has been cited almost 350 times in courts across the country. The decision has been used to deny justice in cases on age discrimination, housing for the disabled, and access to sports programs for women athletes.Lilly's journey had just begun. She became an outspoken advocate for fair pay, working the halls of Capitol Hill to urge passage of the law that bears her name. Not because it will help her-the Supreme Court ruling closed Lilly's case-but to take a stand for the millions who are denied justice every day. The Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is a "Supreme Court fix" designed to undo the damage done by the Court's decision by making the language of the law in question absolutely clear. The new law takes us back to where we were before the Court's disastrous decision: each unfair paycheck will be treated as a separate discriminatory act. Instead of having to file suit before you even know that you are being treated unfairly, you have 180 days from your last paycheck to take action.Lilly and her allies in Congress spent two years fighting for this law, against filibusters, a hostile Bush White House, and massive lobbying by corporations. In spite of loss and personal sacrifice, her journey has earned her a place not just in the law books, but in the history books.How fitting that the first law signed by the nation's first African-American president stands up for justice for all. Finally, we have an administration committed to equality, progress, and the rights of people who work hard every day.Lilly has traveled a long way, and we can take the next steps in the journey with her. Ask your Senators to support the Paycheck Fairness Act and help all Americans win justice at work.
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