U.S. President Barack Obama signed a law on Thursday aimed at eliminating unequal pay for women and men for the same job, which was welcomed by activists from labor and women’s organizations invited to the White House for the occasion.
Deciding that the first law he signed during his presidency would be the "Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act," Obama emphasized that eliminating pay inequality between men and women is not just a "women’s issue," but a matter important for all workers. The law will make it easier for workers to sue their employers when they discover they have been victims of pay discrimination.
Calling the signing of the law a "beautiful day," Obama stated that it sends a message that "there are no second-class citizens in the workplaces of the U.S. and that it is not only unfair and illegal but also harmful when someone is paid less for the same job because of their gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, or disability."
Alongside Obama at the signing of the law was Lilly Ledbetter (70), after whom the law is named.
Ledbetter worked at the Goodyear tire factory in Alabama for nearly 20 years before discovering that her pay and retirement contributions were lower than those of male colleagues doing the same job. She filed a lawsuit, which the Supreme Court dismissed in 2007 as unfounded by a 5-4 vote, because she had exceeded the filing deadline, which is six months from receiving the first discriminatory paycheck.
