Federal public service union president faces impeachment vote

A leadership crisis has entangled the Canadian Association of Professional Employees, as its 13,000 members head to the polls to ratify their collective agreement and determine the fate of their union president.

Emmanuelle Tremblay faces a recall vote two years into her presidency which has been marred by vicious infighting and damaging leaks. Over the next week, CAPE's cadre of economists, statisticians, translators and policy analysts will decide whether she stays or goes.

Voting closes at 4 p.m. on March 3.

This impeachment vote comes at a time when the union is under fire for monitoring some of its members' social media accounts.

"I think basically we've gone down a dangerous rabbit hole this past year," says Nick Giannakoulis, a national vice-president with CAPE.

"We were trying to go in a new direction for membership engagement and transparency but unfortunately we've gone to a very dark place."

'Against the values and ethics of this association'

Last week Giannakoulis sent an email to the 18 members of CAPE's national executive committee, notifying them that invoices had surfaced indicating someone within union management had authorized the tracking of social media accounts linked to union members.

"It's drained significant resources … and it goes against the values and ethics of this association."

Giannakoulis is calling for an internal investigation to find out who authorized it and how much money is being spent.

Some of the social media accounts are anonymous and have posted disparaging comments likening Tremblay to dictators. Internal union emails and documents have also been posted online.

Giannakoulis will not say how many CAPE members are being watched, but other union sources tell CBC more than 20 public servants may be under scrutiny.

Critics speak out

Miranda Dyck, a senior policy analyst with Health Canada, says she is one of the people being targeted for speaking out. She believes union resources are being used to stifle free speech and dissent.

"A union is supposed to be there to fight for my well-being, to make sure I'm protected. That's a fundamental rule of a labour union. But the very people I'm paying dues to are using those funds to surveil me, to pursue me," said Dyck, 38, who is also running for election as a CAPE director.

Dyck says she is an "easy target" because she has openly criticized Tremblay and other union representatives on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube.

She has documents indicating CAPE has spent $60,000 investigating her social media activity, she says, and she's fighting back with a $250,000 defamation lawsuit.

In her statement of claim, which hasn't been tested in court, Dyck alleges CAPE staff members libeled her in order to keep her from "attempting to ensure CAPE is run with an appropriate amount of transparency."

Tremblay out of country for vote

Tremblay is currently in China on a month-long holiday with her family and isn't expected back until March 20.

But in a YouTube video posted on the CAPE site in December, Tremblay defends her ability to lead the organization.

"So many people have asked me, 'Why don't you just walk away? You've been demonized.You've been attacked. You've been backstabbed.' But I think I'm the right leader for CAPE at this juncture in our history."

Tremblay has been under fire since taking office in November 2014.

She had won the presidency with a slate of other directors by a margin of 25 votes. Her aim was to create a strike fund to increase the negotiating power of CAPE.

Just over a year ago, Tremblay was suspended after an internal investigation found she had improperly accessed voter data.

While Tremblay served her five-week suspension, more than 100 members of CAPE signed a petition demanding a recall vote of the president.

In Tremblay's current absence, acting president André Picotte responded to questions about surveillance and the union vote by email.

Picotte denies the union is monitoring members but admits that "targeted online tactics" were employed after a CAPE staff member and elected official said they received disturbing and threatening emails from an anonymous account.

"Like all other democratic institutions, differences of opinion are bound to arise. What we do expect is for mature individuals to resolve these conflicts with respect and without resorting to vitriol and cyberbullying," said Picotte.

The acting president said the threats were serious enough that the matter was referred to Ottawa police.

And despite a polarized executive board, Picotte maintains CAPE has been successful in negotiating two positive tentative agreements on behalf of its members while under Tremblay's leadership.

Whether or not union members agree will be determined when votes are tallied on March 3. And it's questionable if the issue is even on their radar.

So far only 10 per cent of union members have registered to vote.

Tremblay can only be removed if two thirds of voters cast a ballot to impeach her.