Charisse Jones

USA TODAY

Philadelphia airport workers have called off a strike they'd planned in the midst of the Democratic National Convention next week, after reaching a deal that will pave the way for them to join a union.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf brokered a deal between American Airlines, Philadelphia International's largest carrier, and a local of the Service Employees International Union that will keep roughly 1,000 airport workers on the job as delegates descend upon the city to name Hillary Clinton the Democratic Party's presidential nominee.

"Beginning this weekend, we anticipate nearly 8,000 delegates and approximately 50,000 convention attendees to be traveling to Philadelphia,'' Cedric Rockamore, Philadelphia hub vice president for American said in a statement. "Our focus is on giving all of our customers the best possible service and travel experience.''

The workers, employed by subcontractors who provide baggage handling, cabin cleaning, and other services to the airport and the airlines that operate there, voted on July 12 to strike in order to call attention to their demands for a $15 minimum wage and the ability to join a union.

Now, representatives will instead spend the next several days sitting down with American Airlines, which "has committed to ensuring that subcontracted workers have a fair process to form their union,'' the SEIU local said in a statement.

The work stoppage would have been the latest in a flurry of protests, rallies and walkouts staged at airports across the U.S., part of a broader movement by low-wage workers in industries ranging from child care to food service to boost pay to at least $15 an hour.

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Despite the union negotiations taking place, the fight to raise the minimum wage continues.

Last year, when American reached a new lease with the city, the airline mandated that airport workers employed by subcontractors get paid a minimum wage of $12 an hour — a raise from the previous minimum of $7.25 an hour.

But some of those workers say that even with their recent raise, making ends meet remains difficult.

“It’s still a struggle,’’ says Alfred Williams, a 29-year-old baggage handler who is employed by the subcontractor PrimeFlight. “We still have to play around with our money to figure out how we’re going to do this and that because the cost of living is so high.’’

Growing up, Williams says that his mother, a government employee, belonged to a union for 40 years. “If my mother had to take off, she knew the union was there to back her up,’’ he says, “and she knew her job would be there the next day. That’s all we want. ... We just want our $15 and a union.’’

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PrimeFlight did not respond to calls seeking comment.

The workers had garnered the support of some of those expected to attend next week's Democratic gathering. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi tweeted on Tuesday that she was “proud to stand in solidarity with workers in #PHLStrikeDNC.'' And convention delegate Susie Shannon launched a petition to support the push for higher pay, adding that she would fly into New York rather than cross a picket line in Philadelphia.