'It'll live on forever': Lilly Ledbetter's attorney speaks on impact for equal pay
ABC 33/40
[{'start': '1.280', 'end': '6.640', 'text': 'She was a supervisor at a tire plant in'}, {'start': '4.080', 'end': '9.040', 'text': 'Gaden, but Lily Led Better became a'}, {'start': '6.640', 'end': '11.440', 'text': 'national name when she exposed pay'}, {'start': '9.040', 'end': '13.440', 'text': 'discrimination, took her fight all the'}, {'start': '11.440', 'end': '16.560', 'text': 'way to the Supreme Court, and helped'}, {'start': '13.440', 'end': '18.880', 'text': 'pass landmark legislation on equal pay.'}, {'start': '16.560', 'end': '21.920', 'text': 'Now, her life story is coming to the big'}, {'start': '18.880', 'end': '24.400', 'text': 'screen. The new movie Lily opens in'}, {'start': '21.920', 'end': '27.359', 'text': 'select theaters May 9th, including right'}, {'start': '24.400', 'end': '30.880', 'text': 'here in Alabama. And and while Lily'}, {'start': '27.359', 'end': '33.440', 'text': 'passed away in 2024, her legacy lives'}, {'start': '30.880', 'end': '35.200', 'text': "on. Let's get you involved in the"}, {'start': '33.440', 'end': '37.280', 'text': 'conversation. We want to know what you'}, {'start': '35.200', 'end': '39.360', 'text': 'think. Are men and women paid equally'}, {'start': '37.280', 'end': '41.520', 'text': 'for the same work? You can answer by'}, {'start': '39.360', 'end': '44.840', 'text': 'scanning the QR code on your screen or'}, {'start': '41.520', 'end': '48.399', 'text': 'finding this story on'}, {'start': '44.840', 'end': '50.320', 'text': 'abc3340.com. And ABC 3340 it teams'}, {'start': '48.399', 'end': '52.559', 'text': 'Valerie Bell spoke with the attorney who'}, {'start': '50.320', 'end': '55.520', 'text': 'helped lead her legal battle and'}, {'start': '52.559', 'end': '57.760', 'text': 'continues to share her message.'}, {'start': '55.520', 'end': '60.480', 'text': 'A powerful film hits select theaters'}, {'start': '57.760', 'end': '62.480', 'text': 'next week. Lily tells the story of an'}, {'start': '60.480', 'end': '64.640', 'text': 'Alabama woman who became the face of'}, {'start': '62.480', 'end': '68.080', 'text': 'equal pay in America. If you Google'}, {'start': '64.640', 'end': '71.439', 'text': "equal pay and people involved, it's her"}, {'start': '68.080', 'end': '74.320', 'text': 'picture, her face everywhere. And she'}, {'start': '71.439', 'end': '76.720', 'text': 'had no intentions of of anybody ever'}, {'start': '74.320', 'end': '79.600', 'text': 'knowing her name. All she wanted to do'}, {'start': '76.720', 'end': '81.840', 'text': 'was do her lawsuit, get what she was'}, {'start': '79.600', 'end': '84.479', 'text': 'owed, which is the lost money that she'}, {'start': '81.840', 'end': '87.040', 'text': 'was entitled to, and move on and live'}, {'start': '84.479', 'end': '89.680', 'text': 'live the rest of her life over in uh'}, {'start': '87.040', 'end': '91.920', 'text': 'Jacksonville area of Alabama. From a'}, {'start': '89.680', 'end': '94.240', 'text': 'small town job at a tire factory in'}, {'start': '91.920', 'end': '96.720', 'text': 'Gadston to the halls of Congress and'}, {'start': '94.240', 'end': '99.119', 'text': 'even the White House, Lily is based on'}, {'start': '96.720', 'end': '101.119', 'text': 'the true story of Lily Led Better, a'}, {'start': '99.119', 'end': '103.200', 'text': 'southern mother, supervisor, and'}, {'start': '101.119', 'end': '105.520', 'text': 'ultimately a fighter. She was'}, {'start': '103.200', 'end': '107.360', 'text': 'relentless. She was ferocious,'}, {'start': '105.520', 'end': '108.600', 'text': 'relentless. I mean, first of all, to'}, {'start': '107.360', 'end': '112.880', 'text': 'file a'}, {'start': '108.600', 'end': '114.799', 'text': 'case in Anderson, Alabama, as a woman'}, {'start': '112.880', 'end': '117.759', 'text': 'against a company that supports most'}, {'start': '114.799', 'end': '120.000', 'text': "people in the area, you're going to be"}, {'start': '117.759', 'end': '124.399', 'text': 'ostracized and isolated. And she did'}, {'start': '120.000', 'end': '126.479', 'text': 'that and she took that case and went and'}, {'start': '124.399', 'end': '128.319', 'text': 'people were upset with her for doing it.'}, {'start': '126.479', 'end': '130.560', 'text': 'How dare she do something like that? So,'}, {'start': '128.319', 'end': '132.760', 'text': "she but she didn't care. Attorney John"}, {'start': '130.560', 'end': '135.440', 'text': 'Goldfarb says Lead Better came to him in'}, {'start': '132.760', 'end': '137.680', 'text': '1999, saying she discovered she was paid'}, {'start': '135.440', 'end': '140.160', 'text': 'far less than her male co-workers doing'}, {'start': '137.680', 'end': '142.879', 'text': 'the same job after years of working at'}, {'start': '140.160', 'end': '146.800', 'text': 'the Goodyear plant. When she approached'}, {'start': '142.879', 'end': '148.440', 'text': 'you, why did you take this case?'}, {'start': '146.800', 'end': '152.000', 'text': "She's one of these"}, {'start': '148.440', 'end': '154.879', 'text': 'people that you just immediately are'}, {'start': '152.000', 'end': '156.800', 'text': "going to like and you know she's telling"}, {'start': '154.879', 'end': '159.760', 'text': 'the truth. And then when you look at the'}, {'start': '156.800', 'end': '161.280', 'text': 'documents um that I had at the time, I'}, {'start': '159.760', 'end': '163.280', 'text': 'could not understand why she was making'}, {'start': '161.280', 'end': '165.280', 'text': "so much less. From there, Ladd Better's"}, {'start': '163.280', 'end': '167.360', 'text': 'journey was one of grit and relentless'}, {'start': '165.280', 'end': '170.080', 'text': 'courage. Cases like this, you generally'}, {'start': '167.360', 'end': '174.080', 'text': 'get back pay, lost wages. The jury was'}, {'start': '170.080', 'end': '176.080', 'text': 'so outraged, they gave Lily $3.8'}, {'start': '174.080', 'end': '179.280', 'text': 'million, which at the time was the'}, {'start': '176.080', 'end': '181.840', 'text': 'highest uh pay discrimination verdict in'}, {'start': '179.280', 'end': '183.680', 'text': 'the country. And I was like, "Oh gosh,'}, {'start': '181.840', 'end': '185.360', 'text': 'this is going to get a lot of attention,'}, {'start': '183.680', 'end': '188.159', 'text': 'which is not a good thing when you win a'}, {'start': '185.360', 'end': '190.480', 'text': 'case for um for the appellet courts."'}, {'start': '188.159', 'end': '192.640', 'text': 'And unfortunately, it did get attention.'}, {'start': '190.480', 'end': '194.480', 'text': 'It went up to the 11th Circuit and the'}, {'start': '192.640', 'end': '197.360', 'text': '11th Circuit Court of Appeals took it'}, {'start': '194.480', 'end': '199.519', 'text': 'away, took the verdict away from us. And'}, {'start': '197.360', 'end': '202.239', 'text': 'then we took went to the Supreme Court'}, {'start': '199.519', 'end': '204.000', 'text': 'and the Supreme Court supported what the'}, {'start': '202.239', 'end': '206.000', 'text': '11th Circuit said. So we she ended up'}, {'start': '204.000', 'end': '208.159', 'text': "getting zero and she's never gotten a"}, {'start': '206.000', 'end': '211.280', 'text': 'dime out of this case. Instead, her case'}, {'start': '208.159', 'end': '213.280', 'text': 'became the catalyst for change. In 2009,'}, {'start': '211.280', 'end': '215.760', 'text': 'President Barack Obama signed the Lily'}, {'start': '213.280', 'end': '218.319', 'text': 'Lead Better Fair Pay Act into law. She'}, {'start': '215.760', 'end': '220.440', 'text': 'just ruled the place up there and they'}, {'start': '218.319', 'end': '223.120', 'text': 'were enamored with her cuz she was so'}, {'start': '220.440', 'end': '225.360', 'text': 'articulate with her southern draw and'}, {'start': '223.120', 'end': '228.480', 'text': 'they loved Lily Leb better and and'}, {'start': '225.360', 'end': '230.959', 'text': "that's she they used her to get this"}, {'start': '228.480', 'end': '233.200', 'text': 'bill passed. Goldfarb says her story'}, {'start': '230.959', 'end': '235.360', 'text': 'still resonates today. In your'}, {'start': '233.200', 'end': '237.200', 'text': 'professional opinion, is this still an'}, {'start': '235.360', 'end': '239.280', 'text': 'issue that exists today? Pay'}, {'start': '237.200', 'end': '240.879', 'text': 'discrimination. Absolutely. Yes. And'}, {'start': '239.280', 'end': '243.680', 'text': 'thank goodness for the Lily Lead Better'}, {'start': '240.879', 'end': '245.680', 'text': 'Fare Pay Act. We can use that to'}, {'start': '243.680', 'end': '247.280', 'text': 'challenge decisions that are made many,'}, {'start': '245.680', 'end': '249.360', 'text': "many years ago that people don't realize"}, {'start': '247.280', 'end': '252.000', 'text': "they're being paid less. Led Better"}, {'start': '249.360', 'end': '255.360', 'text': 'passed away in 2024, but her legacy'}, {'start': '252.000', 'end': '257.359', 'text': 'lives on through this film, through law,'}, {'start': '255.360', 'end': '259.840', 'text': 'and through the people inspired by her'}, {'start': '257.359', 'end': '261.840', 'text': 'refusal to back down. through me and'}, {'start': '259.840', 'end': '264.320', 'text': 'other people like me at this law firm'}, {'start': '261.840', 'end': '267.600', 'text': 'and other folks doing employment work,'}, {'start': '264.320', 'end': '270.160', 'text': "it'll live on forever because as long as"}, {'start': '267.600', 'end': '272.160', 'text': "there's a Lily Lead Better Fair Pay Act,"}, {'start': '270.160', 'end': '274.320', 'text': 'people will remember her. The film is'}, {'start': '272.160', 'end': '276.240', 'text': 'also launching a national social action'}, {'start': '274.320', 'end': '278.320', 'text': 'campaign urging companies and'}, {'start': '276.240', 'end': '280.800', 'text': 'communities to take real steps towards'}, {'start': '278.320', 'end': '283.680', 'text': "equity in the workplace. It's a reminder"}, {'start': '280.800', 'end': '285.600', 'text': 'that one voice can create change and one'}, {'start': '283.680', 'end': '287.600', 'text': 'woman from Alabama helped make it'}, {'start': '285.600', 'end': '290.960', 'text': 'happen. Did you learn anything through'}, {'start': '287.600', 'end': '293.240', 'text': "Lily's case? Yeah, I learned that if you"}, {'start': '290.960', 'end': '296.240', 'text': 'are really'}, {'start': '293.240', 'end': '298.000', 'text': 'persistent in what you believe in and'}, {'start': '296.240', 'end': '299.680', 'text': 'just keep pushing it, no matter how many'}, {'start': '298.000', 'end': '301.600', 'text': 'people tell you, "No, this ain\'t going'}, {'start': '299.680', 'end': '303.759', 'text': 'to work, this isn\'t going to work,"'}, {'start': '301.600', 'end': '309.360', 'text': "it'll eventually work out for you. In"}, {'start': '303.759', 'end': '309.360', 'text': 'Birmingham, Valerie Bell, ABC 3340 News.'}]