Why is the Fair Pay Restoration Act named for Lilly Ledbetter?
Months before she was set to retire from Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Lilly Ledbetter received an anonymous tip that men doing the same job as her were making $4,286 to $5,236 per month while she was making $3,727 per month. Even though Ledbetter had received a Top Performance Award in 1996, Goodyear claimed that her low pay was due to her poor work. A jury initially awarded Ledbetter $3.3 million, but the amount was reduced to around $300,000. Subsequently, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 that Ledbetter was not entitled to compensation because she filed her claim more than 180 days after receiving her first discriminatory paycheck.
