Name: Tess
Home: St. Louis
Fair Pay
If you have a few minutes, please consider going to the American Association of University Women's web site and contacting your representatives to urge them to support the Fair Pay Restoration Act, which will go before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee next week.
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court sided against Lily Ledbetter in Ledbetter v. Goodyear. According to the New York Times, the court found "that workers generally lose their right to sue for pay discrimination unless they file charges within 180 days of a specific event, like a boss giving a worker a smaller raise because of her sex. Establishing a pattern of discrimination over several years will no longer be possible." This narrow reading of the law means that if a woman discovers that she was discriminated against more than 6 months ago--even if she was not aware of the discrimination until later--she cannot sue for damages. According to the AAUW, "The Fair Pay Restoration Act restores the law to how it was previously applied to be consistent with Congress' intent and the Court's own precedents."
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court sided against Lily Ledbetter in Ledbetter v. Goodyear. According to the New York Times, the court found "that workers generally lose their right to sue for pay discrimination unless they file charges within 180 days of a specific event, like a boss giving a worker a smaller raise because of her sex. Establishing a pattern of discrimination over several years will no longer be possible." This narrow reading of the law means that if a woman discovers that she was discriminated against more than 6 months ago--even if she was not aware of the discrimination until later--she cannot sue for damages. According to the AAUW, "The Fair Pay Restoration Act restores the law to how it was previously applied to be consistent with Congress' intent and the Court's own precedents."
posted by Tess | 2:21 PM
1 Comments:
I just heard back from Senator Claire McCaskill on this. Her form email says, "
Like you, I believe that Americans are morally and legally entitled to equal rights and protections in the workplace. Over the years, we have made great strides in this country toward achieving equal rights, and the United States today adheres more closely to its founding values of liberty and justice for all far more than it has in past generations. As your Senator, I am committed to continuing this progress."
All very good. Unfortunately, a few paragraphs later she refers to a woman who "had been receiving smaller raises than her mail counterparts." D'oh! Curse those overpaid postmen!
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