Richard Martin was a long time resident of Manitoba and worked hard to improve the quality of life for working people and all Manitobans by seeking to advance social and economic justice and rights.
His work as a trade union activist began while he was employed as an electrician by INCO in Thompson in 1968. He rose through various union positions and in 1978 was elected President of the Manitoba Federation of Labour. One of Mr. Martin’s projects, the Manitoba Federation of Labour Occupational Health Clinic, became the first of its kind in Canada.
He served on the University of Manitoba Board of Governors from 1983 – 1984 and helped establish the Manitoba Labour Education Centre to assist people to advance their understanding of labour relations and the multitude of issues they cover.
In 1984, Mr. Martin was elected Executive Vice President of the Canadian Labour Congress. In 1997, he was elected President of the 43 million member Inter-American Regional Labour Organization, headquartered in Caracas, Venezuela. By the time of his retirement in 1999, Mr. Martin was widely recognized for his efforts to improve human rights, not only in Canada, but also throughout Central America and South America.
