Timeline of Crucial Wage Gap Legislation
Click on a year to find out more about the legislation released that year that helped advance the rights or minorities and attempted to close the wage gap.
NB: EO is the shorthand for Executive Order.
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009
"To clarify that a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice that is unlawful under such Acts occurs each time compensation is paid pursuant to the discriminatory compensation decision or other practice"
Details
Signing Date: January 29, 2009
President in Office: Barack Obama
Background: 40 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Lilly Ledbetter filed a lawsuit in 2007 against her employer, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Inc., claiming she was unfairly compensated. The basis of her claim was that the other employees in her same position were better paid because Goodyear sexually discriminated her in her performance evaluations. In a 5-4 split in the Supreme Court, Goodyear came out victorious because the statute of limitations had expired. The Court concluded that Ledbetter needed to have filed her claim 180 days of the initial discriminatory action.
The Act and its Achievements: The 2008 Democratic Congress attempted to pass the bill, but it was vetoed by President George W. Bush. A year later it revived and was signed by President Barack Obama. The Act basically overturned the Supreme Courts decision, claiming that discrimination occurs not only during the first unfair compensation, but after every single paycheck that is seen to be (or claimed to be) unfair and discriminatory in accordance to a person's race, gender, religion, national order, etc. This act helped extend the staute of limitations greatly, from only 180 days after the first paycheck, to 180 days after every single paycheck. As most people get paid either monthly or every two weeks, this ensures that a person can file a lawsuit or claim at almost any time they wish to.