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Who is Lilly Ledbetter?

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Women Who "Knew Their Place" Is a Thing of The Past

I married at 20, quit college and went to work to put my husband through school. It was a common practice in those days, 1968. I went to work at State Farm Insurance as a file clerk. Women were always put in those jobs, so even though I had two years of college and men with less were hired as supervisors, even I didn't think much of that.

However, I was bothered when I learned that the insurance policy was different for men and women. The men's policy had maternity coverage and the women's didn't. I asked about that and was told that my husband should get my maternity coverage for me. That he was in college didn't matter. Nor were they concerned when a single woman on my team became pregnant and had no coverage. It was just the way it was.

It was commonly accepted that men would get better jobs; that men would go to medical school while women went to nursing school, but occasionally someone would ask about the pay differential for the rare occasion when a woman and a man had the same job. That was explained by saying that the man had a family to support. If someone pointed out that there were unmarried men and divorced women in the mix, that was ignored.

Things have gotten better. but these differentials still exist.

Lilly Ledbetter has worked long and hard to end this once and for all. The legislation has finally passed and President Barack Obama has named this, The Lilly Ledbetter Bill. That is all she is going to get as it has passed too late to help her recover that fortune that she has lost when she was paid less than men doing the same job.

Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

Wikipedia

"Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 550 U.S. 618 (2007), is an employment discrimination decision of the Supreme Court of the United States. Justice Alito held for the five-justice majority that employers are protected from lawsuits over race or gender pay discrimination if the claims are based on decisions made by the employer 180 days ago or more.

This was a case of statutory rather than constitutional interpretation. The plaintiff in this case, Lilly Ledbetter, characterized her situation as one where "disparate pay is received during the statutory limitations period, but is the result of intentionally discriminatory pay decisions that occurred outside the limitations period." In rejecting Ledbetter's appeal, the Supreme Court said that "she could have, and should have, sued" when the pay decisions were made, instead of waiting beyond the 180-day statutory charging period. The effect of the Court's holding was reversed by the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009."

Important!

What She Had Lost

"I will be a second-class citizen for the rest of my life ... It affects every penny I have today."
- on the fact that her retirement benefits are based on the discriminatory pay she received from Goodyear Tire, Birmingham News, January 23, 2009

Nine Facts About LIlly Ledbetter

1. Lives in Jacksonville, Ala. and is 70 years old, a mother and grandmother. Her husband died in December.

2. Hired at the Alabama Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in 1979 and worked as an overnight supervisor (7 p.m. to 7 a.m.) for nearly two decades.

3. During her career at Goodyear, Ledbetter suffered sexual harassment and day-to-day discrimination. She testified before Congress in 2007 that a supervisor once asked for sexual favors in return for good job performance evaluations. After Ledbetter complained about the supervisor to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), he was reassigned, but Ledbetter said she felt isolated at work and experienced a long-term pattern of discrimination.

4. Got periodic pay raises, but all compensation information was kept confidential at her company. She received a Top Performance Award in 1996.
5. Shortly before she was due to retire in 1998, an anonymous co-worker slipped a note into her mailbox at work comparing her pay against that of three other male counterparts. Ledbetter was making $3,727 per month, while men doing the same job were paid $4,286 to $5,236 per month. Ledbetter filed a complaint with the EEOC and was then assigned to lift heavy tires, which she felt was retribution.

6. Sued Goodyear, which claimed it paid Ledbetter less than other male workers because she was not a good worker. A jury awarded Ledbetter about $3.3 million, but the amount was later reduced to around $300,000. Subsequently, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 that Ledbetter was not entitled to compensation because she filed her claim more than 180 days after receiving her first discriminatory paycheck.

7. The new bill changes the Civil Rights Act so that workers can sue up to 180 days after receiving any discriminatory paycheck.

8. Met Obama while he was a senator and campaigned on his behalf. Obama and the future First Lady talked about Ledbetter regularly on the stump and the Alabama native rode with Obama as he took a celebratory train trip to Washington, D.C. before the inauguration. Ledbetter attended the inauguration and danced with the President at a ball afterwards.

9. Says that she lives paycheck to paycheck; has no expectation of ever getting any restitution from Goodyear Tire.

TIME
Important!

Michelle Obama on Lilly Ledbetter

"She's long since lost her ability to gain any financial return from her Supreme Court loss, but she is out on the road, fighting hard to make sure that our daughters and granddaughters get paid equally for the work that they do. She's a special lady, a working class lady, and a fighter."
- Michelle Obama, Larry King Live, CNN, October 8, 2008

Lilly Ledbetter and Michelle Obama 

Quick, what do you think of Lilly Ledbetter?

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Lilly Ledbetter for Women's and Labor History

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Important!

Lilly Ledbetter's Work Ethic

"There was nothing I wouldn't do, no matter how dirty or hard."
- on her work ethic as a supervisor at the tire factory, Agence France Presse, January 30, 2008

Equal Pay for the Same Job or Should We Go "Comparable Worth"?

"Comparable worth is shorthand for "equal pay for work of equal value" or "equal pay for work of comparable worth." The doctrine of "comparable worth" is an attempt to remedy the inequities of pay which result from a long history of sex-segregated jobs and different pay scales for "female" and "male" jobs. Market rates, in this view, reflect past discriminatory practices, and cannot be the only basis of deciding current pay equity."

If you aren't sure Read More Before You Comment Or just chime in?

Should We Go With Comparable Worth?

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Yes and Here Is Why....

akumar46 says:

Perk should be based on work not by any gender.

OhMe says:

We've come a long way and I sure appreciate all that Lillie Ledbetter has done for future generations of women.

Frankster says:

I firmly believe that pay should be based on worth -- the job that is being done. I've been discriminated against as a woman many times early in my career and before I had a college degree. I actually had a boss that told me my new counterpart would start at a higher rate because he was a man and had a college degree. (I was working on mine at night) He told me because I did the payroll and would be miffed when I saw the pay rate. Lucky for me, my boss was a man of integrity. 2 months later, he told me that I had far out-worked this man and gave me a raise to compensate for the difference in pay plus an amount above so that I was receiving more money than my counterpart -- pay based on work not on my gender or even education level. To me gender, race, age and education should mean nothing. Pay should be based on the work being performed and how well the person does the job.

julcal says:

I admit I'm a little confused with the verbage, and it's too late in the week and in the day to read the posts Margo was so kind to post for us, so let me just jump in.

I do remember very clearly the belief that men should get paid more for the same job because he had to support the family. What a dependent, second-class position this put women in. One short story.

My husband's parents both worked during the 40's through the 70's. She had to use her money to support the family. He used his money for gambling and drinking.

Are there still different pay scales for men and women? I'd a thought that would be illegal by now.

No, Equal Pay for the Exact Same Job Is All and Here Is Why....

 

Barack Obama Signs the Lilly Ledbetter Bill

"Obama, choosing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act as the first bill to sign as president, called it a "wonderful day" and declared that ending pay disparities between men and woman an issue not just for women, but for all workers.

With Ledbetter standing by his side, Obama said she lost more than $200,000 in salary, and even more in pension and Social Security benefits that she "still feels today." He then signed the measure that effectively nullifies a 2007 Supreme Court decision and makes it easier for workers to sue for discrimination by allowing them more time to do so.

"Making our economy work means making sure it works for everyone," Obama said. "That there are no second-class citizens in our workplaces, and that it's not just unfair and illegal -- but bad for business -- to pay someone less because of their gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion or disability." "

Obama Signs Ledbetter Law

Important!

Seeing Her Bill Signed

"I'm just thrilled that this has finally passed and sends a message to the Supreme Court: You got it wrong."
- as she was packing to travel to Washington D.C. for the signing of the act, Birmingham News, January 28, 2009

New Featured Lenses

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Shout Out For Lilly Ledbetter!

Share your stories, sightings, thoughts, rants, raves...

  • momsfunny Jan 12, 2012 @ 9:23 pm | delete
    a great story! A real fighter, thanks for sharing.
  • akumar46 May 8, 2011 @ 4:59 am | delete
    Great woman of courage,Thanks for sharing.
  • MaxReily May 7, 2011 @ 10:26 pm | delete
    Great lens about a courageous woman. It's just unacceptable that two people could do the same job, and one be paid less because of gender.
  • 7Suze7 May 7, 2011 @ 9:04 pm | delete
    Wow, great woman
  • AndyPo Dec 18, 2010 @ 5:47 pm | delete
    Excellent lens, as always. Very interesting.
  • Jan Yund Jul 21, 2010 @ 8:09 am | delete
    I have worked for CVS Pharmacies for 8 years total. First time for 3 1/2 years and this time for 4 1/2 years as a licensed pharmacy tech. Because of my age (before turning 66) I requested a lower rate of pay as not to hurt my beneits. Now that I am 66 I have requested to be brought back up to AT LEAST the starting pay of other experienced techs. I am being told by my supervisors since I asked for lesser pay I have to start all over and on;y get small (like 2%) raise on;y once a year. Minimum wage is $7.75 and my current pay is $8.16. I am part time and PRN. I work regular PT hours and am called in any time somone calls in sick or wants a day off. I never have called in sick. I feel after giving this company 8 years of dedication I deserve to be making at least what I made the 1st time I worked for them 11 years ago. I have talked to my manager but am afraid to make any waves because of retaliation. Would like your advice but please answer privately.
  • OhMe Feb 2, 2009 @ 3:21 am | delete
    I did not realize that she lived in Jacksonville, Ala. That is where I went to college so found that very interesting. You have done a wonderful job on this lens. I watched the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter bill and it gave me cold chills thinking about how far we have come just during my lifetime.
  • JaguarJulie Feb 1, 2009 @ 10:14 am | delete
    An inspiring story and an inspiring woman -- too bad there weren't more Lilly Ledbetters around to champion the cause of women's issues. Applause for a well-done lens on an important topic!
  • Frankster Jan 30, 2009 @ 5:07 pm | delete
    Excellent lens about an important issue. I had never heard of Lilly before but now she is a hero in my eyes. Thank you for sharing her story and triumph! 5 stars, favorite and I've been your fan for a long time! Bear hugs, Frankster aka Bearmeister aka Cat-Woman
  • julcal Jan 30, 2009 @ 4:48 pm | delete
    Great lens, Margo, and you answered my question. It wasn't illegal before, but it is now!

    ***** Julie
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The Latest News on Lilly Ledbetter

These are well worth reading, don't forget to click on all of them.
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Wome's Equality

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Important!

From Lilly Ledbetter's Son

"This started out personal for her, but now she is standing up for other women including my sister Vickie and my 2-year-old daughter Grace."
- Ledbetter's son, Phillip, after his mother lost her court battle but was fighting for legislation to change the squal pay law, Agence France Presse, June 7, 2007

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About Margo Arrowsmith

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Table of Contents

  1. Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
  4. What She Had Lost
  5. Nine Facts About LIlly Ledbetter
  6. Michelle Obama on Lilly Ledbetter
  7. Lilly Ledbetter and Michelle Obama
  8. Quick, what do you think of Lilly Ledbetter?
  9. Lilly Ledbetter for Women's and Labor History
  10. Lilly Ledbetter's Work Ethic
  11. Equal Pay for the Same Job or Should We Go "Comparable Worth"?
  12. Barack Obama Signs the Lilly Ledbetter Bill
  13. Seeing Her Bill Signed
  14. New Featured Lenses
  15. Shout Out For Lilly Ledbetter!
  17. Women's Equality
  18. The Latest News on Lilly Ledbetter
  19. Wome's Equality
  20. From Lilly Ledbetter's Son
  21. Changing the Guard Blog
  22. About Margo Arrowsmith

by

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Margo Arrowsmith received the "Lens of the Day" Twice

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