It's not support for the individual that is the point in this case, it's support for the principle that you cannot just decide on a whim to end a person's career for something as piffling as this when there are numerous other intermediate steps to follow. If this is allowed to happen then we are all vulnerable and it doesn't matter whether or not there is a union.
The "big" approach would be to support reinstatement and deal with the individual's status vis-a-vis the association at a later stage. I'm sure there will have been ample opportunity for reflection on his part by the time this is over.