A longtime labour leader with the Town of Grand Falls-Windsor, CUPE Local 1349 president Tammie Greening has been fired by the municipality for multiple violations of the town's code of conduct, and her union is vowing to fight the termination.

CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador president Sherry Hillier says money will be "no object" when it comes to defending Greening.

"I can tell you that we will take this as far as we can and we will support our local president from 1349," Hillier told CBC News on Friday.

Hillier described Greening's termination as "unjustifiable" and "union-busting 101" by the town, and she defended Greening's service to the town and the union.

"We will do what we need to do to protect our CUPE member and a local president that's done nothing, only good for the Local 1349. She has brought that Local to a new high in the town of Grand Falls-Windsor. Her members support her. We support her provincially and nationally."

Disparaging comments about senior staff, councillors

The final report of an investigation into allegations against Greening was obtained by CBC News.

The human resources consultant who conducted the investigation, former town employee Mark Gill, concluded Greening violated the town's code of conduct by making disparaging comments about senior staff, including chief administrative officer Darren Finn, and some former and current councillors, and by actively supporting some candidates over others during the recent municipal election.

Gill also concluded Greening "engaged in election efforts during work time" and attempted to "exert influence" through her role as a union leader to "gain some level of control over the new council."

Greening was a volunteer with Coun. Venus Hollett's successful campaign, and was a nominator for another candidate.

Greening also violated the town's social media policy by supporting certain candidates, Gill concluded.

"By supporting certain candidates online, the respondent, as a municipal official, consequently unsupported other candidates, including current councillors. This may have brought the integrity of council, the town or herself into disrepute," he wrote.

Gill investigated 25 separate allegations, and determined that Greening's actions in 17 of those complaints "do not align with the expectations set out in" the code of conduct.

The code of conduct requires that "municipal officials shall respect other municipal officials, council, councillors, and members of the public."

Gill wrote that Greening's conduct "was not in the best interest of the municipality, but was clearly in her personal interests."

The dismissal occurred as the town and the union are preparing to open negotiations on a new collective agreement.

The town's communications officer, Robyn Winsor, said the town does not comment on human resources matters.

Coun. Hollett did not respond to an email to her town-provided email address, while Gerry Gardner, an unsuccessful candidate and the only complainant named in the report, declined to comment.

A costly arbitration is likely

Greening was an accounting clerk with the corporate services department, and worked for the town for 17 years.

Local 1349 represents some 90 workers with the town, and Greening has served as president for six years, including during a tense 100-plus-day lockout in 2021.

When contacted, she referred CBC News to her union leadership, but said the report is "full of lies."

Hillier said the union quickly filed a grievance, and a costly arbitration will follow.

WATCH | ‘It is the town and this is pure union busting on their behalf’:

The Canadian Union of Public Employees, better known as CUPE, is the largest union in Canada, representing some 800,000 workers. 

Hillier said the union has deep pockets, and is prepared to open them.

"It will be the residents of Grand Falls-Windsor that will actually pay for this at the end of the day," said Hillier.

Union leader wanted to control council: report

The investigation was launched after the town received an anonymous complaint from someone identifying as a citizen of the town relating to Greening's conduct in the weeks leading up to the Oct. 2 municipal election.

The complainant refused to reveal their identity because "I fear reprisal from the CUPE executive."

In a statement, the complainant wrote, "I have witnessed things and overheard conversations that have raised my eyebrows."

Additional complaints followed, including from unsuccessful candidate Gerry Gardner.

Gardner said Greening discouraged him from running, saying "we really need to get these five new candidates in."

Gardener told the investigator that "Tammie is trying to have control over council in the same way she has control over the union. She would talk about having ‘our people’ at the council table in order to exert control over senior management to the benefit of union members."

Gill placed a lot of weight on the information provided by Gardner, and described him as an "individual who lives by his values, with the word integrity being a hallmark of his character."

Gill said Gardner corroborated some of the complaints made by the anonymous citizen, and this gave him a "greater level of credibility for many of the claims in evidence."

Gill based his findings on the information provided by five witnesses.

Greening denies any wrongdoing

Greening responded to the investigation with written comments, and denied the allegations.

The allegations ranged from Greening trying to "overthrow the municipal election" to ensure union-friendly candidates were successful, to using profanity to describe Finn and other current and former members of council, including Amy Coady, Holly Dwyer and former mayor Barry Manuel.

Witnesses said Greening said her priority after the election would be to "get rid" of CAO Darren Finn, and Nelson Chatman, the director of public works and development.

"There appears to have been an overriding view of the respondent that she desired for the CAO to be removed from his job," Gill wrote, adding that Greening did not "share in the responsibility to preserve and enhance the town’s reputation."

CUPE's Sherry Hillier expressed frustration that Gill's report was released to CBC, and would not comment on its contents.

But she said Greening has every right to be politically active, and she blamed Finn for the tension.

"There's a common denominator in some of the things that's happening in the Town of Grand Falls-Windsor, and that would be the CAO," she said.

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