Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Bill on Its Way to President Obama

by Mike Hall, Jan 27, 2009

It’s been a long and bumpy road, but women and other workers who suffer pay discrimination are about to find a smoother path to justice now that the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is on its way to President Barack Obama’s desk.

The House, this afternoon, passed the bill for the final time 250-177. The bill is named after the Alabama woman who, after working nearly 20 years at a Goodyear tire plant, discovered she had been paid significantly less than men doing the same job.

A federal jury ruled in her favor but Goodyear appealed, and in 2007 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Ledbetter—and other workers—has no right to sue for a remedy in cases of pay discrimination after more than 180 days after the first paycheck, even if she—or other workers—didn’t discover the pay discrimination until years later. Since the ruling, hundreds of pay discrimination cases have been thrown out of court based on the decision.

Says AFL-CIO President John Sweeney:

The new Congress has made a real difference in America’s working women and men’s lives today by passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.  This critical law will help ensure fairness and equality at the workplace.

Shortly after the ruling in 2007, the House passed the first Ledbetter Fair Pay bill, but Senate Republicans blocked a vote and former President Bush vowed to veto it if it ever got to his desk. 

This year, the House passed the Ledbetter bill Jan. 9 and the Senate approved a slightly different version Jan. 22, requiring the House to vote again. Obama could sign the bill as early as tomorrow.

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