Richard Paquin has over 40 years of mining experience in uranium and nickel mines. He is now retired, he was Unifor’s Mines, Metals and Minerals director and the Canadian Coordinator for the mining sector on IndustriALL (Global Union). Richard represented over 10,000 Unifor members in the sector and was involved in numerous federal and provincial governmental committees, advisory and Parliamentary committees. He has extensive knowledge of Ontario mining regulations and Health and Safety committees.
Richard has been involved in the last few years in promoting and providing input on the inclusion of women in the mining industry. He was a sitting member, representing labour, on MIHR (federal) and MLRC (Ontario) and assisted with Unifor’s Mines, Metals and Mineral Industry Council and numerous regional councils.
Richard was born in Quebec and raised in the Sudbury Area. He became involved with the mining industry in 1980 when he started working in Elliot Lake, in the boom years, as an apprentice in the Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanical field. Over the past four decades, Richard has developed extensive experience in Canada’s mining sector and has been involved in many aspects of the industry including mechanical leader, Health and Safety Committee Member, Health and Safety Committee Co-Chair, Union Steward, Chief Steward, Unit Chair and Union President.
