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SEIU steward tells board staff face hostile remarks and vandalism; union seeks clearer communication and support
Summary
Kyle Cook, lead steward for SEIU Local 205, told the board that staff report regular hostile remarks about race, gender identity and sexual orientation and cited a vandalism incident at Green Hills; union leaders said communication with administration is inconsistent and asked for scheduled meetings and better trauma-informed supports.
A representative of SEIU Local 205 updated the Nashville Public Library Board on staff concerns and reported multiple incidents of harassment and vandalism directed at library employees.
Why it matters: The union’s report touches on staff safety, mental-health supports, and the administration’s ability to document, respond to and prevent harassment directed at employees and customers — matters that intersect with the board’s budget request for security funding.
Lead steward Kyle Cook told the board: "Staff have reported regularly receiving hostile remarks about their, gender identity, their race, their ****** orientation, both in person and online." Cook said one patron painted "a ******** on the doors of the Green Hills Library," an incident that staff later documented on security cameras and that resulted in an arrest.
Cook also described frayed communications between the union and library administration around policy and workflow. He said union leaders do meet with library administration roughly four times a year but would like meetings scheduled farther in advance and with broader administrative participation. The union reported satisfaction with administration pursuing a tiered staff-parking approach and noted concerns about trauma exposure for front-line staff and the need for more trauma-informed training.
Board members asked whether additional contract security would have stopped the Green Hills vandalism; library staff said that the particular incident occurred before opening, so on-site security would not have prevented it, but the board heard that camera footage helped identify the suspect. Library administration said it will continue to emphasize reporting procedures, reinforce codes of conduct and make policy-review committee participation available to staff.
What the board will do next: The board asked administration to coordinate with HR and security leadership on reporting, staff supports and scheduled union-administration meetings; library staff said they will follow up with SEIU to improve coordination and policy input opportunities.
