I Got Fired For Asking For An Hr Representative. What Can I Do?

Location: Ontario, Canada.

This is a long story, so please bare with me as I need advice. I feel like I'm going absolutely insane, and my entire life has been turned upside down.

I worked for a local non-profit. I had been there just shy of 3 years. For some background, non-profits in Canada are all governed by a board of directors, usually 8-12 people who live in the area and their role is to over see governance of the non-profit. Mainly to make sure staff and other board members are acting in the best interest of the non-profit, and there is no illegal activities such as money laundering, or embezzlement.

For my entire time at this organization I had stellar performance reviews, the donors liked me, the only other staff member (my boss/supervisor) loved me, and most board members also said they loved working with me. I'd never once been written up or gotten in trouble for anything.

Now, a few months back there was a change in governance for the non-profit, the old Chair (like the president of the organization, not a paid position, part of the board) stepped down, they can only hold their position for a total of 3 years, and so the vice-chair (like the vice-president) took over.

I'll be honest, this man always made me extremely uncomfortable. He only joined the board as a status thing, he likes that it makes him look good in certain circles. He gets drunk at all our events/ fundraisers (the ones he actually shows up too). He broke a bottle of wine at my first Gala, and made me clean it up with my bare hands while him and his friends stood around and watched. When he became Chair, my work environment changed.

Even though I don't work directly for him, or with him (board directors don't work in the office, they only come in for meetings). He would constantly call, micromanage every decision me or my boss made, and on multiple occasions he asked me to overstep boundaries and to do things way above my pay grade.

Now, here's where all this really started.

It was at the last board meeting, before everyone arrived, It was just me, my boss, the chair, and vice chair. (without going into too much reveling details) My boss was talking about Finance matters, and she mentioned that in the past, our non-profit, had chosen to fund a medical equipment need, instead of funding a Long Term Care Facility. In response to this, and I quote this exactly as it was said, the Chair said:

"Well, no one really cares about people in diapers anyway"

I.was.pissed.

My grandmother had severe dementia and was in a LTC, my background is working with the elderly and people who have need for LTC homes and services. I gave this man, the nastiest look, I could not help it. But I bit my tounge, and a few minutes later the meeting started.

The meeting got really tense, as there have also been some staff issues, the board has been promising me and my boss raises, pensions, benefits, for as long as i have worked there. The Chair talked in circles for a bit, said that they were working on it, and then shut the conversation down.

At the end of the meeting, I did pipe up, I reminded everyone that they have legal obligations, that they need to submit their reports to the me by a certain time, and that if they have nothing to report, just let me know so I'm not delaying my job waiting for people.

Full disclosure, I was already pissed off by the comments made earlier, and I did have a bit of an attitude when I said this.

The next week, the Chair and Vice-chair emailed and asked to meet with me. They choose a day I had booked off months before. I said I was off that day and recommended other days to meet. I also asked if it was a formal meeting and if they needed me to take notes. They didn't get back to me for a few days. They emailed me at 1pm, and asked me to meet them at 4:30pm that day.

I emailed back, I said my working hours were between 9-4 and that I was unavailable to meet that night on short notice. Again I offered other times. The chair emailed back, said that my contracted said I had flex hours for this reason, and that they were taking time out of their day to meet me so I needed to do the same. Again, I was mad. My time is also valuable, and I can't drop my life to meet them last minute outside my working hours.

So I emailed back. I quoted the Ontario Labor Code, which says that any changes to schedule had to be made with 24 hour notice, but that I would make an exception this time and would meet them that night.

When I got there, they were late, so I waited an extra 10 minutes for them.

When they arrived, it was the Chair, Vice Chair, and the HR person (this woman is also a board member, and her role is to act as a liason between the board and staff). The meeting started with the chair saying to me "How dare you speak to your superiors like that" Then, he went on a long rant. I waited for him to finish, looked to the HR rep, and asked if she was here to act on my behalf. She said no, she was here as a board member, not as an HR person. I asked the chair to pause this meeting, that I wanted an HR rep present in order to continue the meeting. He then proceeded to call me unprofessional for asking, said it was inappropriate and that my emails to him earlier that day had been completely unprofessional and inappropriate. I said it was my right to have an HR rep there, he said it was not.

He then went on another rant about how I'm unprofessional. I don't actually know what he was hoping to get out of the meeting, he never said. When I wouldn't engage or speak, because I wanted an HR rep, he got so mad, and red in the face. The other two people present said they were disappointed in me and that this behavior was completely unacceptable. I asked what behavior. They couldn't say. They then ended the meeting, told me to leave as "there was nothing they could do for me".

The next day, when I went into the office, they were waiting for me. They told me I was being put on a paid leave due to my 'actions'. When I asked what actions, they couldn't say. I was so mad. I went home and they had locked me out of my email and other accounts. I realized right then and there, they wanted to fire me. But I thought "I haven't done anything wrong, they can't fire me for asking for an HR rep, can they?"

I was off for two days, then the HR lady texted me and said to come in. When I did, they called me into another meeting, this time no HR present at all. Just the chair, vice chair, and my boss. They fired me. The vice chair said it was without cause, but then immediate after said it was because I was no longer meeting expectations. I know in Ontario you can fire without cause, but once they say I'm not meeting expectations isn't that "cause". when I asked them to give an example, they said they couldn't. When I asked if they know I had stellar performance reviews, they said yes.

most importantly

When I asked if this was retaliation for talking about the Labour Code at work, they said yes. I ended the meeting right then and there. Got my stuff and walked out.

The thing is, I recorded that meeting. they don't know it, but i did. I know Ontario is a one party consent province so I only need my consent to record the convo, and my workplace has no policy against recording meetings. But what do I do with it? What can I do?

I'm made becuase what they did was wrong, because now people think I'm an angry B and unprofesional. I've tried finding another job, but unfortunately this is a small town, where everyone knows everyone, and the Chair has been telling everyone that I as rude and unprofessional. I can't find work.

What can I do? Was I in the wrong, I'm honestly starting to doubt myself. I was so scared they would fire me, I wanted HR there so this wouldn't happen, but it did. Can I sue for wrongful termination?

Any advice would be appreciated.