Borg Warner in Ithaca NY alleging sexual discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. Becker an employee of 17 years said she had been denied equal opportunities protected by the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Becker had worked as a purchasing in clerk for 13 years. She claimed that her responsibilities were virtually the same as the buyers making $30-$96 more per week. "If I had been a man, and done exactly what I have, the same thing, I would've been promoted 13 years ago" Yacknin of the WWU agreed that Ane Becker's case met many criteria for a discrimination case. Yacknin said "there are no women buyers at the Morse Chain Ithaca plant, and there has not been for at least the past 18 years." "Working women United believes that this situation indicates discrimination in hiring, promotion, wages, training, and titles," she said. Becker said that she had been "terribly nervous" for a long time to take that first step. "I didn't have the guts for a long time, but I have a small son, and my finances were (less) drastic." "So I dared," Becker said. (Ithaca Journal, July 24, 1975) In November 1975, with the support from WWU Becker was victorious in her lawsuit. Although Borg Warner automotive denied any wrongdoing, Becker was promoted to a Buyer classification, given a pay raise and two years of backpay. (Ithaca Journal, November 8, 1975) Ane Becker retired from Borg Warner in 1988 after 30 years of service. Following her retirement she was routinely called back to work as a buyer for many years. She died in 2015 at the age of 89 and is remembered as a loving, feisty and independent spirit who championed change in the workplace to help women become more valued. History In the mid-1970's, the feminist movement created social and conceptual spaces where women could speak out on the job about sexual harassment. As women had done previously with abortion, rape, and domestic abuse, identifying and speaking out about the violation legitimized their feelings of violation. This time, they focused on sexual harassment in the workplace, and the case of Carmita Wood inspired the movement. She was declined unemployment benefits when resigning as an administrative assistant to a professor at Cornell University because she had been physically ill from the pressure of avoiding his unwanted sexual advances. The first organized response to sexual harassment grew out of