Equal Rights Advocates mourns the loss of fair pay icon Lilly Ledbetter, who passed away Saturday, and calls for federal action to close the wage gap

Oct. 14, 2024 — Equal Rights Advocates (ERA) and the Equal Pay Today coalition mourn the loss of Lilly Ledbetter, a tireless champion for pay equity and workers’ rights. Lilly was not just an icon of the fair pay movement, fighting to enact the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009 to ensure women from all walks of life receive fair pay for their work, but she was also a friend and collaborator who inspired us with her unwavering determination and grace.

By challenging pay inequity at her job at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., and taking that fight all the way to the Supreme Court and then to Congress after justice was denied in the courts, she sparked a movement to transform the systems that have robbed countless workers of fair wages throughout their careers.

“As we face a widening gender wage gap for the first time in 20 years, Equal Rights Advocates and the Equal Pay Today coalition are doubling down on Lilly’s mission.”
– Deborah Vagins, ERA National Campaigns Director & Director of Equal Pay Today.

“A giant has passed. Our friend and inspiration, Lilly Ledbetter, leaves behind a legacy that fuels our ongoing fight against pay discrimination, exploitation, and those who would delay progress towards wage justice for all,” said Noreen Farrell, Executive Director of ERA. “While the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was a crucial step forward, the fight for pay equity is far from over. With women still earning significantly less than their male counterparts, especially women of color, we honor Lilly by continuing to urge the passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act and the implementation of comprehensive pay transparency measures at the federal level.”

These steps are essential to build upon Lilly’s legacy, combat ongoing wage discrimination, and finally close gender and race pay gaps. In an era where state-level progress is being made and workforce expectations are evolving, it’s time for our federal government to lead the way in ensuring pay equity for all American workers.

“I was privileged to be friends with Lilly for almost two decades. It was the honor of a lifetime to stand with her to enact the law that bears her name and to work with her in all the years since to continue the fight for pay equity,” said Deborah J. Vagins, National Campaign Director of ERA and Director of Equal Pay Today. “She fought for all of us and never gave up. As we face a widening gender wage gap for the first time in 20 years, Equal Rights Advocates and the Equal Pay Today coalition are doubling down on Lilly’s mission. We will honor her memory by fighting tirelessly to close gender and race pay gaps and ensure that her vision of workplace equality becomes a reality for all. May she rest in peace, and may her family find comfort in their memories and in knowing how many lives Lilly touched and changed for the better. I count myself among them.”