Birmingham, AL – The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act won't help its Alabama namesake recoup money she lost through gender discrimination years ago, but she doesn't mind.
Ledbetter says it's enough to know that the federal law will be helping millions of others.
The 70-year-old former Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. employee in Gadsden is headed to Washington to watch President Barack Obama sign the legislation into law Thursday.
Ledbetter worked at Goodyear's Gadsden plant for nearly 20 years before learning her male co-workers were paid more for the same work.
A federal jury awarded her nearly $4 million after she sued, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the 180-day window to file her case had closed after the first unfair paycheck.
The new law reopens the 180-window after each unfair paycheck.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)