I missed this in the rush of finals, and I think it’s important enough to backtrack.
On April 23rd, McCain skipped the vote on the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would ensure that people like Lily Ledbetter, who experience pay discrimination but are not able to file a charge within 180 days (Ledbetter could not do so because she didn’t find out about the pay discrimination until she had been working with Goodyear for 20 years) would still have legal recourse. McCain’s rationale? Women need more “education and training.”
Education and training would not have helped Lily Ledbetter, who was doing exactly the same job as her male counterparts, and who won awards for her job performance. She was payed less only because she was a woman.
In part because of McCain’s opposition, the Fair Pay Act did not move forward.
To give an idea of the real-world impact this will have, here’s Lily Ledbetter’s story:
Expect more conservative Supreme Court justices like the ones who ruled against Ledbetter (and more opposition to fair pay) if McCain gets into the White House.
