By Jim Turner ©2024 The News Service of Florida
TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday said members of the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard will go to ports where union longshoremen are on strike seeking higher pay.
“At my direction, the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard will be deployed to critical ports affected by the strike to maintain order and, where possible, resume operations,” DeSantis said in a post on the social media platform X.
DeSantis also issued an executive order with additional steps to respond to “any disruptions” caused by the strike. That includes allowing the waiver of tolls and weight restrictions for trucks, as the state tries to maintain the flow of materials to areas recovering from Hurricane Helene.
“We need to accelerate. We have no time for delays,” DeSantis said Thursday during an appearance in Anna Maria. “Biden-Harris has a responsibility to stand up for the storm victims, stand up for the people who’ve had their homes damaged or who’ve lost their homes and make sure they have what they need to get back on their feet.”
With the presidential election about a month away, DeSantis and other Republicans have increasingly tried to tie effects of the strike to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee. They also have criticized the Biden administration’s response to the hurricane.
DeSantis’ event in Anna Maria came as Biden flew into Tallahassee International Airport on Thursday and went to Taylor County, where the Category 4 hurricane made landfall Sept. 26.
When asked why he didn’t meet the president in Florida, DeSantis said his event had been planned. U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., joined Biden in Taylor County.
Biden and Harris have voiced support for the striking port workers.
“This strike is about fairness. Foreign-owned shipping companies have made record profits and executive compensation has grown. The Longshoremen, who play a vital role transporting essential goods across America, deserve a fair share of these record profits,” Harris said in a statement on Wednesday.
Among other things, DeSantis’ executive order also authorized the Florida Highway Patrol to provide escorts for trucks “to ensure the continuous and expedited movement of goods, fuel, container shipments, and cargo.”
Four of Florida’s 16 ports — JAXPORT in Jacksonville, Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, PortMiami and Port Tampa Bay — are directly affected by the strike, which includes workers at ports from Maine to Texas.
The strike began Tuesday after the union could not reach a deal with the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents shipping lines, terminal operators and port authorities.
The Florida Ports Council said the strike predominantly will affect containerized cargo, which can carry items such as clothing, furniture, automobiles, construction and hurricane supplies, medical supplies and perishable goods such as fruits, vegetables and seafoods.
Cruise operations aren’t impacted.
The strike is expected to affect about one-third of the business at JAXPORT, 41 percent of cargo operations at Port Everglades and 50 percent of cargo operations at PortMiami.
