Lilly Ledbetter and President Obama
A wage discrimination bill that heralds the pro-labor policies of the Democratic-controlled Congress and White House cleared the Senate yesterday and could be on President Obama’s desk within days.
The legislation reverses a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that narrowly defines the time period during which a worker can file a claim of wage discrimination, even if the worker is unaware for months or years that he or she is getting less than colleagues doing the same job.
The House is expected to act quickly to again approve the measure, sending it to Obama for his signature. The House passed it two weeks ago but then combined it with another bill that the Senate didn’t consider.
Obama strongly backs the measure and invited Lilly Ledbetter, the retired Alabama tire company worker whose lawsuit inspired the legislation, to accompany him on the train trip bringing him to Washington for the inauguration.
