Let's give a little, learn a lot

Every once in a while, a stranger will press a $50 bill into Lilly Ledbetter's hand.

Or she'll reach into her purse after giving a speech and find someone has written her a check.

People want to do something, it seems, to make up for the $3 million jury award Ledbetter lost when her pay-discrimination case against former employer Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2007. The high court said that Ledbetter wasn't entitled to the award because she waited too long to file her claim.

Things were made right last year, when President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law. It gives discriminated workers a fair chance to sue their employers.

Still, Ledbetter lives paycheck to paycheck. Her 401(k) was spent on medical care for her husband, who died of cancer-related illness in December 2008.

After I wrote about Ledbetter, who spoke to the Women's Center at the University of Washington March 4, two Seattle women kicked off a campaign to get Ledbetter what they believe is rightfully hers.

"Make Lilly Right" is an e-mail and social-networking campaign started by friends Deb Bluestein and Linda Mitchell. They are asking 1 million women to each send Ledbetter a check for $3.

"It's a nice way for women to show that they appreciate what she's done and what she's continuing to do," Bluestein said.

Bluestein, who owns the Modele's furniture consignment store, described a previous job at which she made six figures. Her male boss once told her, "You make a lot of money for a woman."

"I am sure that if a man held the same job, he would have made more," Bluestein said. "Every woman knows it's true."

Checks can be made payable to Lilly Ledbetter, and sent to Bluestein at 964 Denny Way, Seattle, WA 98109. (Go to www.makelillyright.com and to the Make Lilly Right Facebook group).

"It is really humbling for people to do something like this," Ledbetter said Monday. "And I hope they are successful."

It's only fair that I give a belated note of praise to another group of folks who are giving money away, since I made such a stink about how much they rake in.

Some of the UW's highest-paid higher-ups have agreed to donate 5 percent of their salaries to student scholarships and academic programs.

UW President Mark Emmert, who earns $905,000 and is the second-highest paid public-university president in the country, will be giving $42,250 to the school.

Provost Phyllis Wise, who makes $535,00 annually in salary and deferred compensation, will be donating $26,750.

And UW football coach Steve Sarkisian, who makes $1.833 million, will be dropping $91,650 into the basket.

The donations are for one year only, according to Norm Arkans, UW's associate vice president of communications.

"There's nothing that replaces the state dollars that we've lost," said Arkans, who estimated state cuts at $90 million this year.

But the move will replace some of the ill will people felt about public employees being paid like private CEOs.

So the mucks who we invest in so heavily are now investing themselves. I guess you never stop learning at the UW.

Nicole Brodeur's column appears Tuesday and Friday. Reach her at 206-464-2334 or nbrodeur@seattletimes.com.

She's writing a check tonight.