Equal Pay ~by MPJ

My friend Velvet Verbosity, inspired in part by a recent NY Times op-ed piece, is organizing a campaign over at the Point that some of you might be interested in joining. VV is looking to launch a boycott against the Goodyear Tire Company, and it's her goal to sign up 10,000 boycotters by Mother's Day.

Why? A little background for you:

Goodyear employed a woman named Lilly Ledbetter for over 20 years. Upon retirement Ledbetter was informed through an anonymous letter that she was making significantly less money than the lowest paid male in a similar position and had consistently made less than every man in the same position for her entire career.

Goodyear Tire Co refused to settle the case for $60,000, the difference between Ledbetter’s pay and the lowest paid male worker in the same position. A jury awarded Ledbetter damages of $223,776 in back pay and over $3 million in punitive damages, but Goodyear Tire Co still didn’t want to pay. They took the case to Supreme Court and won (right after Bush’s appointees were placed) because the judge claimed Ledbetter should have filed her claim within 180 days of her first paycheck. The court ignored the fact that Ledbetter had no way of knowing of the disparity earlier.

This week the Senate voted on a bill that would have triggered a new 180-day deadline each time a woman got a check that was lower than those of the men doing the same job. The bill's sponsors failed to get the 60 votes they needed to pass.

Join the campaign HERE!!
And Digg it at http://digg.com/people/Goodyear_Screwing_Woman