LABOR BRIEFING: Inside the All-Nighter That Led to Rail Deal

It took 20 sleepless hours, Italian takeout for dinner, and a late-night call from President Joe Biden to avert the worst rail strike in 30 years—for now.

The tentative agreement, hashed out in an all-night negotiating session led by US Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, would raise workers’ wages by 24% and give them the flexibility to take unpaid sick leave, addressing one of the big sticking points between unions and freight-rail carriers.

Union leaders said the agreement would significantly improve workers’ lives. But nothing in the pact is final until it’s approved by rank-and-file members from several unions, many of ...