How Rail Unions Won Paid Sick Time: Freight Bargaining Explained

After Congress passed an eleventh-hour railway labor deal last fall to avoid a nationwide strike that could have crippled the US supply chain, unions promised not to quit fighting for paid sick leave.

They didn’t. And five months later, they’ve racked up some notable wins.

Large freight rail carriers have agreed to give paid time off to thousands of workers. They’ve backed off from efforts to slash crews to one person. And a Republican governor of a red state sided with unions on safety measures over rail executives.

1. How did we get here?

Congress stepped in to avert ...