Supreme Court Rules Against Women Who Took Pregnancy Leaves Before 1979

LA Times: AT&T wins court case over maternity leave, by David G. Savage:

Reporting from Washington -- The Supreme Court on Monday dealt a setback to women who took pregnancy leaves from work before 1979.

The year before, Congress changed the law and said pregnancy must be treated like other temporary disabilities. In a 7-2 decision, the court agreed with AT&T Corp. and refused to award pension credits to those who took a pregnancy leave before the change. The ruling in AT&T vs. Hulteen reversed a decision of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Some women's rights advocates compared the ruling to the pay discrimination decision against Lilly Ledbetter two years ago. "This decision is an all-too-timely reminder of the importance of having on the Supreme Court justices who understand the real-world impact of the law," said Marcia Greenberger of the National Women's Law Center.

See also: SCOTUSblog: Opinion Recap: AT&T v. Hulteen