Cosmetic Shop negotiations stop over obscene taunts on Duval street picket line

Sidewalk picketing in front of Oro Gold, 518 Duval Street, continues into its third week today and negotiations between the business and the Key West Rip-Off Rapid Response Team have ended over obscene taunts directed at women picketers and pedestrians.

“We will not negotiate while the owners and employees of Oro Gold are yelling the worst type of crude, sexist, and vile insults at the women in our group and pedestrians. Loudly calling women members of our team and pedestrians whores and sluts is simply unacceptable and cannot be tolerated,” said Rip-Off Team spokesperson Tevis Wernicoff. “They are trying to intimidate and have shamefully targeted the women. We cannot continue talks until this sexual harassment stops,” he added.

The two sides started preliminary negotiations about closing the business and ending the picketing. The local consumer advocacy group has called Oro Gold the worst of the worst of local cosmetic shops. The business has been cited for numerous code violations, and it violated a previously signed consent agreement with the Rip-Off Team regarding better business practices.

Wernicoff said, “We are asking the shop owners Nir Chin and Zohar Alon and their attorney Robert Goldman to put a stop to this obscene, sexist name calling intended to intimidate women. Then we can restart negotiations.”

The Key West Rip-Off Rapid Response Team is a local volunteer consumer action group that has lobbied for stricter laws regulating cosmetic shops, and stronger code enforcement of existing ordinances. The group has also worked to recover money for victims of cosmetic shop rip-offs; warned cruise ship passengers to avoid cosmetic shop rip-offs and picketed the businesses themselves.

The group is currently accepting new volunteers. You can contact them on Facebook: Key West Rip-Off Rapid Response Team or at [email protected]

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