By 1997 she was the only woman working as an area manager at a plant in Gadsden, Alabama.
She was also, as she was to find out, the lowest-paid.
Frustrated and disgusted by this unfair treatment, Ledbetter stood up for herself and spoke out.
«enter caption here» on January 29, 2009 in Washington, DC.
Her complaint became an employment discrimination suit that was eventually settled by the Supreme Court in 2007.
Sadly,equal payfor equal work is still not a reality.
I would love to hear a bit about how all this came to pass.
«enter caption here» on January 29, 2009 in Washington, DC.
How did you decide to bring the suit?
So no one ever discussed their pay.
I had no idea how much someone else was making.
Lilly Ledbetter, namesake of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act speaks at the 2012 Democratic National Convention at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, Tuesday, September 4, 2012. (Kye R. Lee/Dallas Morning News/MCT)
Do you know who tipped you off by giving you that piece of paper?
Was it a man or a woman?
I still don’t know.
There were so few women there, so more than likely it would be a man.
What made you decide to take this all the way to the top?
To bring the lawsuit, and to speak out so very publicly?
I was 60 years old at the time, and I was 2 years away from retirement.
I couldn’t find out.
I just couldn’t let it go, because that’s the kind of person I am.
If it’s not right, it’s not right.
This was not right, and my family had suffered and we had gone without.
And they said, “Oh, you won’t ever get any money.”
But I couldn’t let it go.
I read the papers, none of these cases are ever solved overnight.
I was determined that I would see it through.
If I started it, that’s what I wanted to do.
It took nine years from the time I filed the charge until I got my final verdict.
Whatever their education or background is, they need to know what laws apply to them in their jobs.
That teaches young women how to negotiate their pay, and they need that.
I won’t let anyone take advantage of me.
My goal is to educate young women and men.
They understand it too, because the men together has strengthened this drive so much.
Learn more about the AAUW’s Smart Start programhere.
Read more about the pay gaphere.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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