Just after 5 AM on Thursday, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh tweeted that the railroad companies and the railroad unions had come to a tentative agreement, less than nineteen hours from a potential shutdown:

Moments ago, following more than 20 consecutive hours of negotiations at [the Department of Labor], the rail companies and union negotiators came to a tentative agreement that balances the needs of workers, businesses, and our nation’s economy. The Biden Administration applauds all parties for reaching this hard-fought, mutually beneficial deal. Our rail system is integral to our supply chain, and a disruption would have had catastrophic impacts on industries, travelers and families across the country.

By 11:30 AM, Joe Biden was in the White House Rose Garden declaring victory: “This is a win for tens of thousands of railworkers and for their dignity and the dignity of their work, it’s a recognition of that.”