[Peace-discuss] hopefully we can all agree on this kind of women's rights at least

[Ricky Baldwin]

Barack and Michelle Obama lead celebration of new equal pay law
By Dave Cook | 01.29.09
Christian Science Monitor
http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/01/29/barack-and-michelle-obama-lead-celebration-of-new-equal-pay-law/

Since her highly photographed appearances at various inaugural balls, the
first lady has spent much of her time out of public view helping her two
daughters adjust to their new surroundings.
But on Thursday, Michelle Obama played a very public role with her husband
marking the passage of a new equal pay law.
Obama’s first bill signing
After the first couple made a trip to their daughter Sasha’s school in Maryland, the
president went to the East Room on the first floor of the White House to sign
his first bill into law. The measure, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act,
reversed a 2007 US Supreme Court decision that made it harder to sue for pay
discrimination.
At the signing, the president paid tribute to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,
who attended the ceremony. “It’s appropriate that this is the first bill we do
together. We could not have done it without her,” Mr. Obama said.
Most of the attendees at the signing ceremony then walked across the hall to
the State Dining Room, where Mrs. Obama hosted a reception for Ms. Ledbetter,
the Alabama woman
for whom the bill was named. It was the first official White House event she
has hosted. The president mingled with the crowd but left before his wife
spoke.
Battling unfairness
With Ms. Ledbetter standing next to her, Mrs. Obama paid tribute to her “commitment,
her dedication, her focus.” Mrs. Obama, wearing a purple suit and white pearls,
said Ms. Ledbetter “knew unfairness when she saw it and was willing to do
something about it because it was the right thing to do, plain and simple.”
After 19 years on the job at Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Ledbetter found
that she was the lowest paid supervisor in her plant despite being more
experienced than several male counterparts. A jury found the company guilty of
discrimination but the Supreme Court held that a discrimination claim must be
filed within 180 days of the first offense. The measure Obama signed today
provides that every discriminatory paycheck extends the statute of limitations
for 180 days.
Needed more when times are tough
The first lady said that, “This legislation is an important step forward,
particularly at a time when so many families are facing economic insecurity and
instability.”
Mrs. Obama then introduced Ms. Ledbetter, who she described as “an
inspiration to women and men all across the country.” The crowd clapped and
cheered.
In response, Ms. Ledbetter said, “Words cannot begin to describe how honored
and humbled I feel today. When I filed my claim against Goodyear with the EEOC
ten years ago, never, never did I imagine the path that it would lead me down.”
A richer reward
“I have spent the past two years since the Supreme Court decision in my
case, fighting for equal pay for this,” Ms. Ledbetter said. “But to watch him
sign a bill that bears my name, a bill that will help women and others fight
pay discrimination in the workplace is truly overwhelming. Goodyear will never
have to pay me what it cheated me out of. I will never see a cent from my case.
But with the passage and the president’s signature today, I have an even richer
reward.”
After Ms. Ledbetter spoke, she and Mrs. Obama shared a hug while the crowd
cheered.
A pool reporter who attended the event said guests sipped orange juice and
cranberry juice and enjoyed a mix of pastries, including apricot coffee cake,
cherry orange scones, apple muffins and a fruit mix that included mango, apple,
clementines and pineapple. Some attendees sat at small round tables adorned
with yellow orchids, but mostly guests stood and mixed and mingled.
An inclusive party
While this was the first major public event Mrs. Obama has hosted since
moving to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,
the latest issue of US Weekly reports that two days after moving in, the first
lady hosted a party in the East Room for every member of the White House staff.


      
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