Lynn C. Woolsey: “this legislation overturns the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision, which offered a very restricted and decidedly unrealistic…”

“this legislation overturns the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision, which offered a very restricted and decidedly unrealistic reading of just when a discriminatory action regarding compensation actually occurs. In doing so, this legislation restores the common and long-standing 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. Let me say a word about the plaintiff in this case, Lilly Ledbetter. Lilly will not reap the benefits of our legislation, and, as a result, will continue to feel the effect of the court's discriminatory decision to pay her less than her male colleagues for the rest of her life. Lilly Ledbetter went to work at Goodyear Tires every day for 19 years. She was one of the few female supervisors at the plant. That was quite an accomplishment in and of itself. But what she didn't realize was that for all those years, she was paid less than her male colleagues, 20 percent less by the time she retired, because of discrimination based on her gender. A jury found that she was discriminated against. They gave her over $3.8 million in back pay and damages. But the Supreme Court said to her, Ms.…”