Green Transition and Unionism: the Role of Quebec Trade Unions

In the context of the green transition, this paper investigates the ways Quebec trade unions perceive their respective roles, the challenges they face and the actions they undertake, which will most likely have a significant impact on jobs and the content of work. Results are based on thirty interviews with the three main trade unions in Quebec, as well as actors of the local cleantech industry. We find that despite the unions' willingness to actively participate in the fight against climate change, their role in the green transition remains unclear. The ambivalence of their positions, due to the close interweaving of the environmental crisis, industrial modes of production, jobs and work, continues to influence both their positions and their actions.