FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2011
CONTACT:
Keith Chamberlin
Director of Communications and Marketing
802 626-6459 (work)
802 751-9122 (cell)
Keith.Chamberlin@LyndonState.edu
LYNDON CENTER, VT: The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was the first bill signed into law by President Barak Obama. The law’s namesake will share her story at Lyndon State College on Thursday, March 10.
Lilly Ledbetter worked for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company from 1979 until she retired in 1998. Most of that time she held the position of area manager, a post traditionally filled by men. In the beginning Ledbetter’s pay was comparable to the salaries of men performing essentially the same work. By the end of 1997, however, her yearly salary was $6000 less than the lowest paid of the fifteen males with the same duties and job title.
Because of a contractual agreement with her employer Ledbetter had no way of knowing of this discrepancy: Goodyear workers were forbidden to discuss compensation with their colleagues.
Ledbetter filed an equal-pay lawsuit under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act six months before her retirement. Courts at the time gave mixed verdicts, ultimately landing the case in front the U.S. Supreme Court. She lost in a 5-4 ruling in 2007. Writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito barred the suit because the discriminatory actions regarding her compensation had been made more than 180 days prior to the date she filed her charge.
The subsequent firestorm of protest led congress to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which clarified the law in ways thatfavor employees who suffer from long-term, systemic workplace discrimination.
On March 10 Lilly Ledbetter will talk about her experiences as a Supreme Court litigant, a fair pay activist, and her ongoing efforts as a champion of equal pay for equal work.
Ledbetter will speak at 7:30 in the Alexander Twilight Theatre on the Lyndon State College campus. The event is free and open to the public. Ledbetter’s appearance is presented as part of Lyndon’s Centennial Celebration Series—lectures, events, and performances in recognition of the College’s 100th anniversary.
Permalink |
And for those who would find it easier to hear Lily Ledbetter on the same March 10th at 4pm in Johnson, Vermont, the Johnson State College Women’s Center is sponsoring a visit by Ledbetter. Ms. Ledbetter will be speaking in the Stearns Performance Space.
In coordination with that visit, the Women’s Center will be discussing The Bad Old Days: The Myth of the 1950s by Alan J. Levine. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, March 2nd at 4:00 p.m. in the Women’s Center located in the Dewey Campus Center.
For more information, contact Karen Madden Karen.Madden@jsc.edu . Please join us!