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Canada Post workers at the sorting facility in Montreal’s Saint-Laurent borough were back to work as of 12 p.m.

They were protesting in the early morning Tuesday after the Senate passed legislation ordering an end to the worker strike as of noon.

The government said it deemed the situation to be dire, citing the economic impact of continued mail disruption — especially during the holiday season.

READ MORE: Canada Post back-to-work legislation passed, comes into effect on Tuesday

The Senate voted to pass Bill C-89 with a 53-25 margin on Monday after the legislation was rushed through the House of Commons last week. It received royal assent the same day.

WATCH BELOW: Canada Post back-to-work legislation passed

1:40 Canada Post back-to-work legislation passed, comes into effect on Tuesday Canada Post back-to-work legislation passed, comes into effect on Tuesday

In a statement, Employment, Workforce and Labour Minister Patty Hajdu said the legislation was a “last resort” after the government spent “over a year” trying to see Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) reach a new collective bargaining agreement.

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READ MORE: Businesses praise feds for Canada Post back-to-work legislation

Those efforts have included assistance from federal conciliation officers, mediators and a special mediator, she said.

“Having exhausted all other options, it is necessary to protect the public interest and avoid further harm to the Canadian economy,” the statement said. Tweet This

CUPW maintains that it will fight the back-to-work legislation and is exploring all options.

READ MORE: Canada Post’s request to pause strike over holidays rejected by union

Walkouts across the country have led to delays at Canada Post’s facilities in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal.

Canada Post says this will likely persist throughout the holiday season into the new year.

—With files from Global’s Rahul Kalvapalle and Jesse Ferreras