Last night, the Maine Women’s Policy Center brought Lilly Ledbetter to Maine. I jumped at the opportunity to meet this well known Supreme Court plaintiff and namesake for the first act of Congress signed into law by President Obama.
Lilly’s talk reinforced a sense of urgency for Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which has passed in the House and is currently in the Senate. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act provides legal recourse for individuals who realize they experienced gender-based wage discrimination, specifically by removing the statutes that prompted the Supreme Court to rule against her. According to the 5-4 majority opinion delivered by Justice Alito, “Ledbetter should have filed an EEOC charge within 180 days after each allegedly discriminatory pay decision was made and communicated to her.” Lilly only found out she was being paid substantially less than her male coworkers after 19 years of her employment at Goodyear Tire, how could she have known within her first 6 months of employment she was being paid differently?
Paycheck Fairness is an important follow up to the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. After all, how can you be expected to investigate if you’re experiencing gender-based wage discrimination if you can also be retaliated against and fired for even asking? Fortunately, Maine has many more protections for workers than exist elsewhere, but we need federal legislation to protect all workers. Women only make 77 cents to the dollar compared to men, and we need further protections for workers as they challenge wage discrimination.
I was moved by Lilly’s steadfastness and commitment to further progress for women in the workplace last night. Since Paycheck Fairness is awaiting further action in the Senate, I hope you will join me in thanking Senators Collins and Snowe for their support of the Fair Pay Act, and to urge them for their continuining support for women through the Paycheck Fairness Act.