History was made when President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act today. In making pay equity the first bill he signed into law, President Obama took an essential first step at restoring protections eroded by the harmful U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Ledbetter v. Goodyear. The new law, passed by Congress with strong majorities earlier this week, strengthens the rights of women and all workers to pursue justice for wage discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age or disability.

The legislation is named for Lilly M. Ledbetter, a longtime supervisor at a Goodyear tire plant in Alabama. Ledbetter worked for Goodyear for 19 years before discovering that she was paid significantly less than her male counterparts with the same or less experience. The same bill was defeated in 2008 by Republicans in the Senate after veto threats by President Bush although championed by then-Senator Obama, who today makes good on his campaign pledge to sign it into law.

"President Obama and Congressional leaders are keeping their pledge to women and all workers to strengthen the voice of Americans to fight discrimination," said SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger. "What a difference a pro-worker Congress and pro-worker President make."

Watch the signing below: