Constitutional Law

Obama Signs Fair Pay Act

President Obama’s first major bill signed into law provides workers greater ability to challenge discrimination in pay. Late yesterday Congress gave final approval to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act and Obama signed the bill this morning. The law is named after the Alabama woman who worked at Goodyear for many years only to learn that she had been paid significantly less than her male counterparts. When Ledbetter sued, a jury agreed that the tire company violated her civil rights and awarded her hundreds of thousands in back pay. But the in 2007, the Supreme Court dismissed her case, saying that she waited too long to lodge the lawsuit against Goodyear. Subsequently, Ledbetter became an eloquent voice for pay equity, addressing the 2008 Democratic National Convention calling on lawmakers to support the fair pay act. The law, The Washington Post reports, will allow workers to bring law suits six months after they receive any paycheck that they allege is discriminatory.

Ledbetter was present at this morning’s signing of the law. “We are upholding one of the nation’s first principles: that we are all created equal and each deserves a chance to pursue our own version of happiness,” Obama said at the signing ceremony. “While this bill bears her name, Lilly knows that this story isn’t just about her. It’s the story of women across this country still earning just 78 cents for every dollar men earn – women of color even less – which means that today, in the year 2009, countless women are still losing thousands of dollars in salary, income and retirement savings over the course of a lifetime.”  

Full post as published by ACS Blog on January 29, 2009 (boomark / email).