Ledbetter, Lilly

Lily Ledbetter is a fair-pay activist from Alabama who became well-known across America for her discrimination lawsuit against Goodyear, and her subsequent efforts to encourage the Congressional passage of the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. She was a production supervisor at a Goodyear tire plant in Gadsden, Alabama, from 1979 to 1998. Although she worked in a male-dominated industry and received commendations and awards for her service, including a “Top Performer” award in 1996, she experienced sexual discrimination throughout her employment at Goodyear. In 1998, Ledbetter received an anonymous note listing the salaries of male colleagues in her position, and discovered that she made 15 to 40 percent less than any of the men, most of whom had less seniority and experience.

Ledbetter immediately took her ...