Lilly Ledbetter reflects on fair pay case

After a life of anonymity in Jacksonville, Ala., Lilly Ledbetter made a name for herself when her gender discrimination lawsuit against The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. reached the Supreme Court two years ago.

A lower court had ruled Goodyear owed Ledbetter $3 million for paying her much less than her male counterparts.

But the Supreme Court disagreed. The majority said that by law, she should have filed her case earlier, within 180 days of her first paycheck. The opinion did not address that Ledbetter didn't know about the pay discrepancy until before retiring in the late 1990s, after 20 years with Goodyear.

An outcry prompted Congress to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act this year. It amended the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to establish a new 180-day statute of limitations with each new paycheck.

Ledbetter, 71, was in St. Petersburg on Thursday to speak at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

She spoke with The Tampa Tribune this week. Here are excerpts from the conversation.

How did the case change your life?

It's unbelievable. Sometimes I hear myself introduced at certain locations, and I sort of wonder who they are introducing. It's so unbelievable for someone of the stature that I held to get this notoriety. I've travelled all over the country. I've been invited to Italy.

Are you benefiting financially?

No. Most of the time I just get expenses. Occasionally, I get an honorarium, but not usually.

How would your life be different if you received the same pay as your male peers at Goodyear?

Today, my retirement would be almost twice what it is. I will be a second-class citizen for the rest of my life. I was paid much less than what I was entitled to under the law. It was a drastic hit to me while I was working, trying to support my family, and now in retirement. My retirement income is all based on what my salary was.

What was your reaction to the Supreme Court decision?

I was stunned, to say the least. It not only hurt me, but it hurt every working woman and minority out there today. I was shocked they thought I should know what the men I worked with made. That is very hard to do. At some places you're not allowed to talk about it.

And what did you think of the way Congress stepped in?

I was amazed that the whole thing was done in just 18 months. But (Justice) Ruth Bader Ginsberg challenged Congress to do something, and they did.

What is your advice to working women today?

I want them to be aware and alert to what they are entitled to under the law, and to know that if they aren't getting what they should, it can do them and their family harm, not only while they are working but on into retirement.