A year ago, Eartha Monard and two other members of the Dartmouth High School staff helped lead a group of 83 students to France to attend events marking the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

Last month, the three learned the Nova Scotia Teachers Union may sanction them in relation to that effort because they helped plan the trip during the work-to-rule job action last school year.

"I'm wondering why, and why now," said Monard, who has been principal at the Dartmouth, N.S., school since 2008.

She, former vice-principal Randolph Sullivan and a teacher organizer from the school all face an NSTU disciplinary hearing, following complaints from other union members.

Planning for the trip started in April 2016. Interest was high right out of the gate, said Monard.

Eighty-four students expressed interest, and in the end all but one went on the trip. It required extensive planning and fundraising to make it happen, with students and parents making major commitments.

"We had students who actually worked part time and fundraised for the entire event [to] pay their own way," Monard said in an interview Monday, which also happened to be Vimy Ridge Day.

Teachers and their supports participate in a rally in November 2016 at the constituency office of Liberal MLA Patricia Arab. (Jean Laroche/CBC)

However, labour unrest was brewing between the teachers union and Nova Scotia government in late 2016. Following three failed contract votes, teachers took work-to-rule job action on Dec. 5, 2016, something that continued for almost two months.

During that time, union members were told to only work to the terms of their contracts, which meant no extracurricular activities. Programs, sports and other events were either cancelled or community members scrambled to make sure they went ahead

But Monard said neither was an option for the Vimy trip. Teachers who wanted to back out because of work-to-rule did, but the principal said she felt a sense of duty to the students and parents to see it through.

Union takes notice

That opinion drew the attention of her union local president, who phoned Monard in January 2017 during work-to-rule to say she, Sullivan and the teacher organizer needed to walk away from the trip.

"Essentially, he suggested that we should turn the trip over to the community," she said.

Sullivan said they were told the union was of the view that work-to-rule would be more "impactful" if no union members were willing to organize the trip. If they continued, he said they were told it could mean sanctions including having union cards revoked.

At the time, Monard said she was well-aware that some teachers continued to go on professional development courses outside the country, including one to Honolulu.

"I essentially said something about the fact that, you know, if the union can OK teachers to go to Honolulu, I can certainly take kids on an educational trip."

Planning for the trip long predated work-to-rule and the job action was over — and a contract imposed by the government — long before the trip in April of last year. Monard assumed that was the end of it.

Then on March 29, she received a package in the mail at her home giving notice of a disciplinary hearing with the union.

"It just said that because of my ongoing involvement in terms of organizing and planning the trip, that it was a breach of work-to-rule."

Monard is still waiting to hear about a date and time for the hearing. Sullivan, who now works at Sir John A. Macdonald High School in Tantallon, N.S., and the teacher organizer received the same packages.

Monard said her employer has been "very supportive" and she has access to legal representation through the former Halifax Regional School Board, now known as the Halifax Regional Centre for Education.

Legislation passed last month removes principals and vice-principals from the NSTU as of August.

'They want to make an example of me'

While she has many questions, Monard said she has confirmed through her human resources director that Dartmouth High staff are the only ones facing consequences related to work-to-rule.

She worries someone in the union may be trying to manufacture conflict to make a point about the changes in union membership legislated last month by the government. The package noted the complaints were filed by teachers within her building.

"I think they want to make an example out of me," said Monard, although she's puzzled as to why.

"I happen to be a black woman, a black principal. I don't know if that has anything to do with it. I have no idea. I don't know what their angle is and none of it is making sense."

Sullivan called the timing of the letters "interesting," and questioned the optics of who was being held accountable for going against work-to-rule.

"Everything was done without ever putting any teacher in a situation that they felt they had to comply with whatever my beliefs may be."

A union spokesperson said Monday it does not comment on matters involving individual members.