[applause] and. >> i have the hearing problem. i flew over 12,000 miles in march with a ruptured blood vessel bled everybody says i talk okay. i did not cat rid of my a southern drawl. i have a good story. the reason is i am not any one special. this belongs to everyone in the room. if it is not you but somebody in your family. sister, mother, with men are so mistreated with pay and benefits. as the president said it is not a woman tissue but family issue. that is why the story has stayed so popular because people live it every day. last year i did lot of military bases people have to move the mother into the home because they did not receive enough pay to have a decent retirement. that is not right. the family try a is to raise their teenagers to have the granting of their to interfere with family life. when they came to a good year i was the district manager for h&r block therefore that now is at the state university and then before that six years worked two full-time jobs i worked two full-time jobs. i know what i am talking about. i went to good year 1979 they built the real deficient i was in my office to see an article on the gadsden plant they would implement a new management style team. that is what i believed then i knew radial tires were the way of the future. i already had them on my car. i started interviewing 1978 and hired february 5th, at 1979 as the first line supervisor. there were five divisions and 5,000 people working at the gadsden plant. i started that is how i learned to lobby. i did get to the radio division that was part of my training then they put to me on the night shift i survived. it was a good job. those jobs were good manager jobs for women. detailed, we were always on the job. i worked in every division throughout my career. i spent two years in the mail room. 1998 i went to work and the first thing i did was check my mail. a note to fallout showing up my name and three men they were making over 58,000 mine was 3,700 base pay. the first initial thought was how much money i have lost with the overtime pay. i was embarrassed, devastated, i did not understand i could go through a 12 hour shift. i realized i had to get to the job. i wondered who left me the note. then it hit to me my retirement is based on what was turning the 401(k) was 10% that cost me a lot of money. and did today with my social security. i was devastated. thinking about my options i was two years away from retirement but i could not let it go. growing up having to pick cotton i a learn to a good day's work for a good day's pay. i told my husband unless you object 1/2 to file a charge with the equal employment commission and i tell you up front if i start we will be in this eight years. the corporate world has deep pockets they can spend the route to. we will be in net for a long time. he said what time do want to leave? we went to birmingham she drug out the details. because as a manager you say they don't treat me right. when she finished three hours later she had dug out of everything from me from my career she said these people have been messing with you for a long time. i go back home and to my job and as soon as goodyear is notified the retaliation starts. i am put on a different job. they did not have policy and procedure with no description. it was difficult to survive. in 1998 i filed the charge and 99 the nine ft. employment commission and called and said we would advise you that you get your own attorney because we're so backlogged before you get to trial it would be faster. i found an attorney in birmingham who took the case pro bono. the people iceboat with said he never lost a case. somebody said he never had to go to trial. [laughter] he was a good at negotiating settlements. and you needed decent settlement. but there was never one offered. but i would not give up. still working with me today and never made a dime. he tried to get us to federal court by 2002. my case was heard january 2003. one make later the jury came back with the jury it -- verdict in my favor. to win came forward one working at the plant at that time and paid a price she has suffered discrimination and never got 10 anything for it. the other sold her service and 22 hours i was told she through their radio against the wall and went to honda. they asked her why she never complained. i was a divorced mother supporting a blind handicapped son provide could not afford to bring up my pay because we were told of you discuss your pay you will not work here. everybody took them at their word. i knew if i brought it up i would not have a job. but into discovery she was making even less than i was. that is what i learned and discovery. i was below the minimum for what was posted for my job. the verdict was on friday january 2003. a man who was working for me would testify and an area manager would testify but we did not need him my attorney had all of the managers names what we started at and where we were and it was a disgrace. that is all the jury should have seen because beyond a shadow of the dow to others discriminated because i was born nobleman. the verdict came back they found other small ones but the of theirs were found in my favor year -- 3.8 million dollars i was told keep staring straight ahead. don't cry or laugh but when i heard the verdict that is all i a new bid to hear. when i started i knew i would not get money. i needed that when my kids ran college and paying car payments and house payment. that was hard. i did not need the money later but i could not let a major corporation to me that way with the law on my side. the judge explained how i was only entitled to the 300,000 of it. the only item i had is i was a woman. why did not have a caller. back bay can only go back to years. i knew that. if you work 40 or 30 and decide to file lost wages you can only go back to years. nothing that allows the individual to regain any lost overtime or retirement. it is gone forever. that is a shame. i hope i live long enough to see that come off. that is the only way jury can compensate for the lost money. the judge had just days just transfer them less education and less experience and already made $600 moller then i did from a transfer but good judge took his pay so i left the courtroom $360,000. headlines read california to new york to florida and to chicago read the woman awarded three applied 8 million but the gadsden headline says goodyear lost. i got comfort us seeing those headlines. it went to the circuit court we were erred in the supreme court the monday after thanksgiving. life goes on in. i worked the case just like it was a job. i called those to testify on my behalf. people were afraid to lose their jobs. that is why they switched over with a deposition it to was color-coded. my husband had two major back surgery is then started to develop cancers. they removed the left side of his face and i left him at home to travel to the supreme court because it was important for me to be there. all i heard was ledbetter vs. good year. but the employment commission supported my case from the time we started because the law was on my side. everything before this man did you still got a check it started a new accounting period. after the goodyear lawyer had 20 minutes zandi he said there'd be cases coming at of the woodwork and it would be a hardship on the corporation's. then may 2007 the verdict came back five/four justice alito wrote the opinion i should have filed my charge with the first check i got even though i did not know it to approve it by should have filed it then. what this means if you get a new job you have six months to file a job -- file a claim. i don't think people on a new job tried to figure out should 95 laing the charge? in good year i did not even know where all the restrooms were. that is not the way it is supposed to be. justice ginsberg hit the nail on the head and said these people don't understand what it is like in the real world and challenge congress. the ball is in your court. you can correct this injustice. congress heard her loud and clear. that was may 2007. lawyer said you do not have to respond but i had worked the case, we had nothing to be embarrassed about. the arbitration case settlement could year allowed me to come back to-- per week with the old rate of pay. i don't want to learn any more money. i just want what i've lost. i would be in the mailroom saturday night and sunday night. we will let you work in a jar. i said no. he has been there just long enough to transfer. he did. he does not work there anymore. within two weeks my lawyer bought me a plane ticket and said you are testifying before the house twice before the house and the senate and the opportunity to testify before bet ted kennedy's committee. terrain the confirmation hearing of what they said the other showed how they had voted. they did not appear to be the same individual according to senator kennedy use words. my case is not the only one day have reversed the law. was invited by the president. but we're doing radiation and chemotherapy at my house i am flying back and forth the coalition and kept me up there. three-year four days a week. i would be up at 5:00 a.m. with the call and radio program, a tv spot and heading republicans as well as democrats. the ledbetter act is bipartisan. the fundamental right to to be paid we are legally entitled to. when i walked off the stage i could see the tears on the women space and then then it got it. reporters said when did you endorse obama? i said tonight to. i knew john mccain said the women's problem we did not have enough education training. i could not let that go. it was a record deal. it took 18 months but it failed by two boats. of republic day show democrats and republicans if that was the law i would no was getting shortchanged and could have done something about it. i have learned leon 12 and then there the imams cannot make ends meet they are not home to prepare meals. they're not there to go to conferences. we have to get the country turnaround. sell many are underpaid. the benefits the community and the state and the nation. it makes it stronger. doing the right thing may not be popular but sometimes that means having the courage to speak truth. i am also learned not so much happened i cannot let this go today. lost my husband december december 2008 coming home from a segment he was already cold. he had a stroke in his left eye with nine operations and prostate surgery plus the extra treatment and his body was worn out. i could not let it go and i still cannot today. i am disturbed they tried to take away the decisions that we have for our bodies and we cannot let this happen. one person can start a battle but it takes a lot to win the war. she struck a nerve. that is what i did. with that same interview i stated that was a good job i had good benefits about was just paid what i was legally entitled if it was within the ballpark iowa led let it go. i knew once i started it would be a fight. that is the price i was willing to pay. my title became troublemaker in the plant. i carried it through when the voting came out i got a beer at -- of bill from goodyear $3,000 you turney send that to the media and then they sent it to the lawyer and i have not heard back threatening a lawsuit. we cannot let it go. the first call i got was from senator clinton at the time the second was president-elect obama than the third one was from michelle. i am not campaigning but they'll understand why it is like. i would suggest i tell the college students this, you better research the people you are voting for her gerdau watch the news research the voting record. what have they done back home? not what they might do but what they have done. i could not let it go. i travel the world my attorney and i went to believe. i have never lived anywhere but alabama. i figured it had to be a deep southern problem. it is all over united states and all over the world. we went to italy to share my story. the french and the japanese sent to reporters to interview me. the chileans newspaper one month ago interviewed me for the second time and they have the same problem. the other countries look at the united states for leadership. there is a lot in the buck. i want to share what we have been the bad. then we opened for questions. you can read anything you want to. i hope you saw a the chris matthews and rachel lived -- rachel mad cow interview that runs on line. hardball was march 16 and on the obama web site of video it's running. they did a good job and sent a professional team. on tuesday we go to harvard to speak tuesday night to. we've been split up. she captured my story extremely well. since this is a local audience side did turn down a movie deal right after the verdict because i wanted the story to be heard across the nation. this important we wake up to stop this from happening. we do not have to except it. we can do something about it. >> as she said her story its everywoman's story. the reason and that is the case it is because today in america caucasian women earn $0.77 for every dollar the man earns based on the median earnings of full-time year-round workers. been 2010 when the man turned 47,000 o one men burned almost $11,000 less from of $36,900. 50 years ago the quote pay act was passed when they earned 53%. there are two themes to note to. the gap has not closed very much. half us then to a newly. adding up the difference over the course of the working lifetime which is considered 47 years, as a high-school graduate you lose 700,000 if you are a woman. if you have a graduate degree you lost $2 million. but when she discovered the note she made 40% less doing the exact same job. she lost over $200,000 not taking into account social security and retirement. african-american women earned 60 7.7% and hispanic women 58 to play the 7%. so herstory is everywoman's. there are over 60 million working women. two-thirds are women bringing home of family earnings. from wall street to wal-mart it does not matter where you work, women are discriminated against. that is a statistical picture. she is a poster child if she wanted to or not. this was her story from her point* of view. so what we did is put a lot of the information in the back of the book of the wage gap and if you read this story you have that to look at as the resources. we hope that things will change. >> we will open for questions. i do not know who gave me the note. last evaluation sheet was anonymously mailed. at trial good year could not produce the first mail file. one boss dead they thought they burned it. let me explain and allah when person files a charge you have to retain the records but they could not produce it. but that is all we had that might attorney could finally get from good year. i do not buy goodyear tires. i do not. [laughter] then i get rid of them immediately. >> it is interesting to point* out over a decade fighting the battle getting to court the number of legal documents if you stacked them up would be three stories high. it is hard to understand how much and effort to and energy heartbreak 10 asarco that takes. >> i could not let it go. the law was on my side. and with the supreme court with the next ridiculous case that came before them was the lady who filed the charge on equal form should not have been let go but bush said it is okay latigo. that is my opinion. it was a long fight to. it is hard and individuals and their families. we could not leave home on a vacation without devising the attorney where we were and how we could be reached. it took nine years and actually 18 months. >> why did you tell him eight? >> you don't see any cases that are quick. they dragged them out. the equal employment commission and has more money. i do a lot of work for them. they are training cities and counties that don't bring in the official people what they should be doing. they train them so they don't make these mistakes. they do a lot of preventative work as well as you will see what they have one for an individual. the% gets all a bit. in my case that 360 add that the supreme court awarded it , my eight attorneys got half an hour would have had to pay taxes i would've had 50,000 and there or a spent 40,000 of my own money. i worked every weekend to go to trial and was there for every deposition. i think you will enjoy the book. piano somebody who works there you will say i knew that. i saw that. you will. questions? >> i think it's extraordinary you have pled as much time and effort as you have to do this because a lot of people would not. we all need to take a lesson from that. not only on the issue of women's pay but i am concerned about the boat to trying to stop people from voting. that is our right. we all need to be concerned about that. >> that is true. i commend you for what you have done. >> this is a double question. the day the supreme court made that decision, what did you feel? also the day obama signed a law? >> great question. with the verdict when i got the call rethought let's go have lunch. the media started to call and of lawyers fed you don't have to respond. we opened the door and they came. video, record did, we were i'm brian williams that night. been cnn, one after the other. norman lear. do you know, who i am? i said you made the jefferson's. [laughter] we've video all day. some still run on youtube. you cannot believe on tv they take down your photos and rearrange the curtains and make it take. i said i don't think so. i lost 3.8 million you want me to make a cake? [laughter] my husband is retired military he said i have a fresh pot of coffee. [laughter] when we went to the white house they called me and said says your daughter one to come? we were on the train trip by said i will call. she said i have to get hurt cleared. it is not easy. i called my daughter's house but in an hour she said can you get a five of us? i was so embarrassed. i said sure. i have that much swing. we went into the white house and people lourdes chanting my name. the women and the men and nine grandson's it buys with this bid. they pull me separate and then they signed the bill. that was no walk down the red carpet. the feeling i have had i don't hate you are supposed to pray for personal things python that led send a message but it was the first bill signed into law but the second to dance with him that the neighborhood ball. he said we will do this. i knew he was not talking about dancing. he said we are going to do this. . .