Lynn C. Woolsey: “Lilly Ledbetter went to work at Goodyear Tires every day for 19 years. She was one of the few female supervisors at the…”

“Lilly Ledbetter went to work at Goodyear Tires every day for 19 years. She was one of the few female supervisors at the plant, and she was an outstanding one, at that. She received awards for her work. However, all of those years she was paid less than her male colleagues, 20 percent less by the time she retired, because of gender discrimination. A jury agreed that she had been discriminated against and awarded her over $3.8 million in back pay and damages. But the Supreme Court, the Federal Supreme Court, reversed the decision because it found that Lilly didn't file her claim within 180 days of the initial decision to discriminate, even though she had absolutely no idea at the time that she was being paid less than her male counterparts simply because she was a woman. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act restores the common and longstanding understanding of employees, employers and the circuit courts alike that, when it comes to discriminatory pay, the protection of title VII extends not only to pay decisions and practices, but to each and every paycheck as well. Unfortunately, Lilly will not reap the benefits of this legislation. As a result, she will continue to feel the effects of the Court's wrongheaded decision for the rest of her life, through smaller pension and Social Security benefits. But this bill will help other women, and it will also be a reminder that absolutely no employer can tell their employees to keep their pay a secret.”