NCC Presents One Woman’s Fight, A Country’s New Law: The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009

The Nassau Community College Women’s History Month Committee is proud to present Lilly Ledbetter, who will discuss "One Woman’s Fight, A Country’s New Law: The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009" on Monday, March 7 at 11 a.m. in the College Center Building.
 
In 1979, Lilly Ledbetter took a job at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company plant in Gadsden, AL. At the beginning of her career there, Ledbetter — the only woman in her position — was given the same starting salary as her male colleagues. Over the next 19 years, she not only gained new skills and experience in her supervisory role, she also helped train a number of new hires. Despite her stellar job performance, however, by early retirement, Ledbetter was earning $3,727 per month compared to 15 men who earned from $4,286 to $5,236.
 
In March 1998, Ledbetter inquired into possible discrimination at Goodyear. By July of that year, she filed formal charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In November 1998, Ledbetter sued, claiming pay discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act of 1963. Although the Supreme Court threw out the case — ruling that she should have filed her suit within 180 days of the date that Goodyear first paid her less than her peers — because of Ledbetter’s fight, Congress passed a bill in 2009 that restarts the six-month clock every time the worker receives a paycheck.
 
One Woman’s Fight, A Country’s New Law: The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 is free, open to the public and accessible to the disabled. For more information, call 516.572.9811.