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Lilly Ledbetter Watches as Obama Signs Fair Pay Act |
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With Lilly Ledbetter looking on, President Barack Obama this morning signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Said Obama during the ceremony in the White House East Room:
In signing this bill today, I intend to send a clear message: That making our economy work means making sure it works for everyone. That there are no second class citizens in our workplaces, and that it’s not just unfair and illegal—but bad for business—to pay someone less because of their gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion or disability.
After working nearly 20 years at a Goodyear tire plant, Ledbetter 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—had no right to sue for a remedy in cases of pay discrimination after more than 180 days after the first paycheck, even if she didn’t discover the pay discrimination until years later.
The fair pay bill was the first legislation Obama has signed since taking office. It was also the target of veto threats from former President Bush after it was passed by the House in 2007. Last year Republican senators blocked a vote on the bill. The new Democratic-majority House and Senate quickly passed the legislation this year. Says AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, who attended the signing ceremony:
We are heartened that this legislation was made a top priority of the new Congress and administration, because it demonstrates a return to the common sense values of hard working Americans. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is one large step towards ensuring truly equal pay for equal work.
Debra L. Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families, says the bill signing
signals an end to the days when we had to revisit and defend women’s and civil rights victories of the past, and can instead focus on creating jobs, promoting fairness, and ending discrimination in our workplaces.
1 Comment
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I am sure Most women will find they are paid less than men.
What about going backwards I worked for men who knew nothing ,did nothing and treated THE WOMEN like low pay coolies.
Then A MAN who listened to CON ARTISTS and harrased all the women, A bully man stalker gets me run off jobs—-I want back pay, back social security credits,lost pension fixed credit 12 years of my life back Think it will happen I doubt it.