Peter Frost, 1960 – 2018

Red Deer, Alta. – August 23, 2018 – The UFCW Canada family is mourning the loss of Peter Frost who suddenly passed on August 21 in Red Deer, Alberta.

Brother Frost’s dedication to the union spanned five decades going back to the 1970s when he first became a member of the union while working at the Fletcher’s pork plant in Red Deer.

Working on the floor at Fletcher’s, Peter soon became a go-to person for fellow members who needed help with various issues, and he provided strong leadership for his UFCW sisters and brothers at the plant when Fletcher’s forced them on strike in the mid 1980s, which is remembered as one of the most tumultuous work stoppages in Canadian history.
 
Joining the UFCW Local 1118 staff in 1990, Brother Frost dedicated the next 24 years to serving the local membership in a variety of roles, including staff representative, lead negotiator, secretary-treasurer, and president, following the passing of his long-time friend and comrade Albert Johnson in 2014. 

Brother Frost also provided leadership to UFCW members across Canada, as a former vice-president of the National Council, and as a member of the Administration Committee for the National Defence Fund (NDF), which Peter helped establish in 1986 with other outstanding activists from the packinghouse sector.

In 2017, Peter played a central role in the merger between UFCW Canada Locals 1118 and 401, creating the largest local union in Alberta with enhanced services to better serve a province-wide membership.

“Peter was a trade unionist and UFCW family member to the bone,” says UFCW Canada National President Paul Meinema. “He was also a good friend, true gentleman and skilled advocate, who always gave his all to the membership. Our union is stronger and better because of Peter’s lifelong commitment to advancing fairness, inclusion and solidarity.”