Struggling through Digitalization of Work: Regional Intermediaries and Trade Union Involvement in the Provision of Collective Goods

This qualitative study focuses on regional intermediaries and trade union involvement in producing collective goods related to Industry 4.0. It mobilizes a “most similar” regional case comparison of the Canadian aerospace industry in Montreal, Quebec, and Toronto, Ontario, and focuses on one trade union operating across both provinces. Contrasting patterns of governance are identified in each region, creating distinct conditions for trade union involvement in regional intermediaries and in collective good production. These differences have implications for trade unions that are seeking to respond to digitalization of work and to secure better outcomes for workers by participating at earlier stages of technology adoption.