Local S6 of the Machinists Union, Bath Iron Works’ largest union, announced Monday that one of its officers, Rick Poulin, of Augusta, died due to complications from COVID-19.
Poulin worked in the shipyard’s electrical shop for 31 years, according to the union’s website.
“Our hearts are with his wife, Theresa, family, friends and all who knew and worked with him,” the union wrote Monday. “Caring, joyful, strong and the kind of person you could always count on to make things fun. We will miss him every day and never forget how he touched our lives and made working with him unforgettable.”
“The loss of our fellow shipbuilder is a tragedy and our thoughts are with his family and all the coworkers who grieve his passing,” the company wrote in an email.
Union leaders couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.
Poulin isn’t the only BIW worker to have been diagnosed with COVID-19. According to the company’s website, 717 of the roughly 7,300 shipbuilders have tested positive for COVID-19 since March 2020.
Within Sagadahoc County, 1,473 people have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Tuesday and 11 people have died, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Statewide, 68,864 Mainers have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic reached the state in March 2020 and 854 people have died, according to the Maine CDC.
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