Lilly Ledbetter, Advocate for Equal Pay, Passes Away at 86
Labor organizations and women’s rights groups commemorated Lilly Ledbetter on Monday, following her passing at age 86. Ledbetter, a former Goodyear employee, became a significant figure in the fight for equal pay, a battle that escalated to the U.S. Supreme Court and ultimately Congress. Economic justice advocates praised her as “an icon.”
“Lilly Ledbetter simply sought the same pay as her male colleagues at Goodyear,” stated the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) on social media platforms. To those who have reaped the benefits of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, she is remembered as “a true hero,” added the union.
Ledbetter’s career at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Gadsden, Alabama began in 1979, where she initially received pay equal to that of her male counterparts.
However, by 1998, Ledbetter discovered through an anonymous note that her salary had significantly fallen behind her male peers.
“I felt humiliated and degraded. I had to regain my composure to continue working, and on my first day off, I went to Birmingham, Alabama, and filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission,” Ledbetter recounted to NPR in 2009.
In 1999, Ledbetter sued her employer, and four years later, a federal court in Alabama ruled in her favor, awarding her $3.8 million. However, this amount was later reduced to a $300,000 cap and $60,000 in back pay.
Her case eventually reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 2007 ruled in favor of Goodyear. The justices determined that Ledbetter had filed her lawsuit too late after the company’s initial decision to pay her less than her male colleagues.
Nevertheless, in 2009, Ledbetter was present when then-President Barack Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This law extended the time frame for filing unfair pay complaints and declared that each discriminatory paycheck constitutes a separate violation of the law, overturning the Supreme Court’s previous decision.
U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) encouraged Americans to “honor her legacy by tirelessly pursuing equality and justice for all.”
Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, emphasized that Ledbetter continued advocating for equal pay and justice long after her court case ended. “Lilly knew that her experience of being undervalued was a common story for working women across America, regardless of whether they were aware of the wage gap or not,” said Goss Graves.
Even in her 80s, Ledbetter traveled extensively to engage with women nationwide about the importance of actively pursuing wage equality, added Goss Graves.
Ledbetter also joined Obama in 2014 at the White House for the signing of two executive orders related to fair pay. One order prevented federal contractors from penalizing employees who discuss their salaries, and another required the Labor Department to gather data on pay disparities among employees of federal contractors.
Noreen Farrell, executive director of Equal Rights Advocates (ERA), stated that Ledbetter “leaves a legacy that continues to inspire our fight against pay discrimination and delays in achieving wage justice.”
Farrell highlighted that with women, especially women of color, still earning on average 82 cents for every dollar earned by men in the U.S., “the battle for pay equity is still ongoing.”
She urged for the enactment of the Paycheck Fairness Act and the implementation of thorough pay transparency measures at the federal level. The Paycheck Fairness Act seeks to strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to eradicate gender-based wage disparities.
“Lilly Ledbetter’s valiant battle for fair pay has made history and paved the way for millions of women,” remarked Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.). “Let’s honor her by continuing to fight discrimination in all its forms—and by finally closing the wage gap.”
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