Lilly Ledbetter, an advocate for women being paid the same as men for the same work, died Saturday night, her family said in a statement. She was 86 years old.
AL.com first reported her death.
According to the outlet, the statement said she passed away ‘peacefully’ surrounded by her family and loved ones. My mother lived an extraordinary life. We sincerely appreciate your respect for our privacy during this time of grief.
Ledbetter’s activism First bill signed by Barack Obama After becoming president in 2009.
Mark Wilson / Getty Images
The law, called the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, made it easier for workers to sue after discovering what they believe is wage discrimination.
When he signed the bill, President Obama said, “It sends a message that there are no second-class citizens in our workplaces, and that not only is this unfair and illegal, but it’s bad for business to pay someone less because of their sex, age or gender.” . race, ethnicity, religion, or disability.”
After working for nearly 20 years at Goodyear Tire & Rubber in Gadsden, Alabama, Ledbetter noticed that she was paid less than men doing the same job.
The bill effectively overturned a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling from two years ago that ruled Ledbetter had no grounds to sue because he did not discover the allegations within six months of the first alleged pay discrimination.
The bill signed by President Obama changed the rules to allow Ledbetter and workers like her to file lawsuits within six months of discovering alleged wage discrimination, regardless of when the discrimination began.
“She never set out to be a trailblazer or a celebrity,” the former president said of Ledbetter in a post on “I’m fighting,” she said, before signing the bill with her name on it.
“Lilly has done what so many Americans have done before,” said President Obama. “I set higher goals for myself and my children and grandchildren,” he said.
Hats off to the AFL-CIO, who called her “a true hero,” and to Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff, who forever changed my understanding with the simple but powerful phrase “equal pay for equal work.” It’s shocking that, as a CEO, I’ve seen firsthand just how big the pay gap is. “Our company, and the countless other companies Lilly has acquired, have taught us that the fight for equality begins with pay equity.”
Ledbetter continued his advocacy work even after the law was signed.
AL.com reports that she received the Future Is Female Lifetime Achievement Award at Advertising Week last week.
And the film about her life, “Lily,” starring Patricia Clarkson, just premiered at the Hamptons International Film Festival.
