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Congress Fails to Pass Pay Discrimination Measure |
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On April 24, Congress failed to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, named after a Goodyear employee who sued when she learned through an anonymous tip that she was being paid significantly less than her male counterparts doing the same job. Though she initially won the lawsuit, the Supreme Court overturned the decision because she had not initiated legal action within six months of the first instance of discrimination. Goodyear forbids employees from discussing salaries, so how she was supposed to find out about the discrimination earlier than she did is a mystery.
Check out the 5-minute documentary for a better understanding of the case. It’s a bit melodramatic and not exactly non-partisan, but West Wing hunk Bradely Whiteford hosts and who doesn’t love Bradely Whiteford?
Democrats, including Senators Obama and Clinton, supported the legislation, while all but six Republicans voted against it. Senator McCain opposed the bill citing potentially frivolous lawsuits harmful to business. Instead of fair pay legislation, McCain advocates that women get more “education and training.” I thought women were doing pretty well on that front, seeing as they make up 56% of college graduates these days, but I suppose there’s always room for improvement.
In any case, this shouldn’t be about statistics or loopholes. If someone with equal education and training proves to a court that they have been paid less because of their gender or race or age (all of which the Fair Pay Act would have covered), they should be entitled to compensation.
You can sign a petition in support of the Fair Pay Act here. Read the full New York Times article here. Read an editorial on Huffington Post by Joan Blades and Lilly Ledbetter herself here.
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