摘要：On January 29, 2009, President Obama signed the
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (Ledbetter Act) into law.
1
President Obama characterized its passage with the
following message:
Making our economy work means making sure
it works for everyone. . . . That there are no
second class citizens in our workplaces, and that
it’s not just unfair and illegal—but bad for
business—to pay someone less because of their
gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion or disability.
This new law reverses the controversial Supreme
Court ruling in the pay discrimination case Ledbetter v.
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. In a 5-4 ruling, the Court
decided that the “timely filing period” or “EEOC
charging period” starts when a “discreet”
discriminatory act (like compensation) occurs,
regardless of whether the victim is aware of that act.
2
The Ledbetter Act amends Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in
Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967, the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and section 501
and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
