On Thursday, January 22 the U.S. Senate passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act of 2009, by a 61-36 vote. It is expected to be one of the first bills President Barack Obama signs into law. Thank you for making this victory possible!

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama called on America to fulfill "the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness." I urge you to answer his call by supporting the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act of 2009 to keep gender discrimination out of the workplace.

The principle of "equal pay for equal work" should be a given in 21st century America, but in reality women still earn only 77 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts.

Instead of protecting women and working families from pay discrimination, in 2007 the Supreme Court sided with corporate wrong-doers in Ledbetter v. Goodyear. This 5-4 ruling overturned a lower court's decision to award back pay to Lilly Ledbetter after discovering that she earned 15 to 40 percent less than her male counterparts. In light of this flawed ruling, companies need not face the consequences of pay discrimination, so long as workers don't discover the discriminatory act within 180 days of employment.

I urge you to overturn this decision by supporting the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act of 2009 and sending it to President Obama's desk for his signature into law. Congress must make it absolutely clear that the Civil Rights Act guarantees "equal pay for equal work," and that employers who violate this principle will face consequences.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
January 13, 2009