Mr. Speaker, our new government is proud to support a commitment to collective bargaining. Free and fair collective bargaining is at the heart of a stable labour relations regime.
Tonight, I will provide an update on the ongoing labour dispute between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. I will also highlight the work we are doing to to help the parties reach an agreement. First, I would like to touch on the importance of collective bargaining.
The best deal is the deal that parties reach by themselves at the bargaining table. Collective bargaining is not easy, but it produces the strongest agreements, agreements that help stabilize our economy. That is why we banned replacement workers in federally regulated workplaces during strikes or lockouts. We celebrated this legislation's coming into force this year on June 20. The bill received unanimous support in Parliament.
Replacement workers can destabilize the bargaining process and poison the workplace for years to come. Banning their use protects workers' right to strike and removes distractions from collective bargaining. This will bring greater stability to our economy, because a strong economy depends on stable labour relations.
The responsibility of reaching negotiated deals rests solely with the parties, but the government can and does step in to help when needed. Last year, 97% of all disputes in federally regulated sectors were resolved without a work stoppage. That was thanks in large part to the outstanding work of the federal mediation and conciliation service, which has some of Canada's best mediators. They have worked hard to support both parties in this dispute, but the parties still need to agree. When they are unable to reach an agreement at the bargaining table, it can threaten Canada's economic health. Canadians simply cannot afford this.
Canada Post is one of Canada's largest employers, with more than 50,000 workers. It delivered 6.4 billion pieces of mail and parcels to 17.6 million locations across Canada in 2024. The instability caused by this dispute has been felt beyond the company's walls. It has put a strain on Canada's small businesses and communities.
CUPW and Canada Post need to find the right balance that secures the future of the corporation and respects the workers who keep it running. Both parties have priorities they want recognized, and Canadians expect the parties to resolve this dispute fast. Canadians depend on them to get this right.
The government has been supporting the parties with their negotiations for almost two years. Federal mediators remain available to support the bargaining process, but both parties are encouraged to continue working toward a fair resolution. I am proud to be part of a government that respects and has faith in the collective bargaining process. It is good for unions, for employees, for employers and for all of Canada.
Over the coming year, I look forward to working with this new government to ensure that Canada's workers, Canada's unions and Canada's labour force are strongly represented in major projects and in the building we are going to be doing right across Canada.