Carol Shea-Porter on Passage of Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay

by: Dean Barker

Wed Jan 28, 2009 at 08:19:59 AM EST

"Pay discrimination is an issue that affects all workers," said Congresswoman Shea-Porter. "I am pleased that we have moved one step closer to ensuring the right of every worker to equal pay for equal work.  This important piece of legislation will help rid our country of gender-based discrimination and will help all American workers."

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is named for a woman who worked at a Goodyear Tire facility for two decades, but was paid less than her male counterparts. Ledbetter sued Goodyear Tire and a jury found that her employer had illegally discriminated against her. However, the Supreme Court ruled that Ledbetter had waited too long to sue for pay discrimination, even though she was unaware of the discrimination at the time. This legislation applies to pay discrimination on the basis of not only sex, but race, religion, national origin, disability, or age.  The Lilly Ledbetter Act is now expected to be the first bill that President Obama signs into law.