BRIDGEPORT CT — The city’s library staff has taken a vote of no confidence in City Librarian Scott Hughes.
Officials with the National Association of Government Employees Local 200 and the Bridgeport City Supervisors Association informed Library Board Chairman Jim O’Donnell of their vote several weeks ago.
According to the identical letters sent by each union, library employees claim Hughes has created a “hostile work environment” and “an unsafe workplace.” Staff members also question his managerial skills, claim his communication skills are nonexistent and accuse him of violating union contracts.
Frank Bisogno, president of NAGE, said all 26 library employees in the union — mostly custodians and library assistants — participated in the vote.
“All of a sudden he is starting to violate contracts that he at one point was following,” Bisogno said. “He’s got part-time volunteers coming in and doing the work of experienced volunteers. Our contract allows for volunteers, not to supplant what we do but to assist.”
Scott Hughes Needs to be Held Accountable for his bad management
Library Director Scott Hughes needs to be held accountable for his disrespectful, absent, and ignorant behavior toward the running of the Bridgeport Public Library and with dealing with staff and patron’s!! The community/public needs to be aware of his non existent communication skills an they need to take action. The Bridgeport Library System has deteriorated rapidly over the past several years since he has been in charge or not in charge as is the case!!
First of all he is never in the building when there is an issue he needs to address or if staff need to speak with him. He also feels we don’t need any security presence of which the library has always had. I am afraid to even go to the library anymore, for there is a constant revolving door of unsafe incidents and homeless people taking up residence. The staff members don’t even feel safe anymore, because he pretty much lets anything go without a forethought.
Scott Hughes feels it’s the staff members job to break up any bad behavior from patrons, no matter how violent it may be, or they should call the police. He does not want to be involved at all if there is an incident that needs his attention, for he feels it’s something that the staff could handle, regardless to the safety of the staff member.
Scott Hughes has also had volunteers coming in and doing the jobs of the staff, which also has not made a good working environment. He has cut staff and moved them around at a moments notice, and it has made it very difficult for the staff to cope with the extended hours. He has pretty much did away with any supervisors, so there is no more chain of command or organization of any kind.
Staff members have no one to report to, or to address their issues with which has also made it an unhealthy working place. The staff is moved around so much that they don’t even know what their main job is anymore or which end is up. The staff can’t offer the level of service that they use to with all of this chaos!! He has pitted the staff members against each other.
We as the public need to take charge and camp out in his office and demand to know what is going on, and what he is going to do to make it right. Where is all the money that’s supposed to go to the support of the library? So, far I have not seen anything done with my hard earned taxed dollars!!!!!!