...to produce their line of clothing for Wal-Mart
http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/#celeb7Olsens Sign Petition After Sweatshop Scandal
Teen millionairesses Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen demanded retail giant Wal-mart provide female factory workers in Bangladesh with maternity leave and benefits in New York Thursday. The Full House stars, 18, were horrified to discover the workers creating their Olsen Twins clothing line, which is sold in Wal-Mart stores, were working in poor conditions. Just hours after a protest by members of America's National Labor Committee (NLC) began at Washington Square Park near New York University, where the sisters are studying, Mary-Kate and Ashley signed the petition for Wal-Mart to give workers the "legal right to maternity leave with benefits". Their spokesman, Michael Pagnotta says, "Both organizations are talking and we hope it will come to a positive result. We certainly take the issue of fair treatment for workers seriously." A Wal-Mart statement regarding general sweat-shop allegations reads, "We feel that our program is helping to improve working conditions and create economic opportunity for workers around the world."