For all the talk about shattering glass ceilings, Lilly Ledbetter’s straightforward personal story of pay discrimination was likely a shock to the young women inspired by all the success stories evident on Tuesday, the so-called Women’s Equality Day segment of the Democratic National Convention.

The straight-talking self-described grandmother from Alabama described how the nation’s highest court "sided with big business" in reversing the discrimination judgement she had won against Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., Inc., where she had worked more than 20 years and was paid less than her lowest-paid male peer.

She described how, in response to the Supreme Court ruling, the House last year resoundingly passed a bill in her name to remove the time limit of that judgment, which held that workers must sue within 180 days after their first discriminatory paycheck, even if they’re not aware they’ve been discriminated against until after the 180 days have passed.

And she recounted how a similar bill was introduced in the Senate, but that a group of Republican senators kept the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act from going to a vote.

As the New Mexico Independent has reported before, Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., was among those who voted against the measure, for which he was roundly criticized by women’s advocates, including Lt. Gov. Diane Denish. (Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., did not vote but said he was against the measure.)

It should be noted that in the House vote, Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., voted against the Fair Pay Act.

In an April 25 debate with Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., during his primary run for Domenici’s Senate seat, Pearce explained his opposition by saying he opposes congressional mandates for dealing with pay equity. (Fellow Republican Wilson also voted against the fair pay act, citing the same rationale. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., voted for the bill.)

Fair pay advocates said Pearce’s comments at the time indicated he was "out of touch" with the issue. Pearce’s comment, which reporter Jeff Jones reported May 4 in the Albuquerque Journal:

 

"We’re entering a time when, if women will stand their ground, we’re so short of employees coming up, that they will get their just rewards — because we need the people."

 

It would appear the Lilly Ledbetter stood her ground, but found no relief. "I couldn’t ignore the discrimination, so I went to court," she said Tuesday night. Ledbetter said Barack Obama will work to "fix" the Supreme Court ruling. Obama promised to do just that last week during his visit to Albuquerque, as NMI’s Matthew Reichbach reported. "We can’t afford more votes that deny women their equal rights," she continued at the DNC. "My case is over, and I will never receive the pay I deserve." Now retired, Ledbetter’s lower pay continues to work against her in lowered retirement and pension benefits.

The paychecks of women in some New Mexico counties have improved slightly over the past five years, but for most of the state, progress has stalled and the wage gap persists, according to a study released in April by the Southwest Women’s Law Center.

According to the study, more than half of the women working full time in 29 of 33 New Mexico counties earn so little they are eligible for food stamps and child care assistance.

 

Ledbetter had to pause several seconds to wait for the cheering to subside near the close of her remarks, when she said, "Equal pay for equal work is a fundamental American principle."