Governor DeSantis: Florida National Guard members will go to ports

Governor DeSantis: Florida National Guard members will go to ports

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that members of the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard will head to ports where Union dock workers go on strike Strive for higher salary.

“At my direction, the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard are being deployed to critical ports affected by the strike to maintain order and, where possible, resume operations,” DeSantis said in a post on social media. Media platform X

DeSantis also issued an executive order with additional steps to respond to “any disruptions” caused by the strike. That includes exemptions from tolls and truck weight limits as the state tries to keep materials flowing to areas recovering from Hurricane Helene.

“We have to speed up. We don’t have time for delays,” DeSantis said during an appearance in Anna Maria on Thursday. “Biden-Harris has a responsibility to advocate for the victims of the storm, to advocate for the people whose homes were damaged or who lost their homes, and to make sure they have everything they need to get back on their feet come.”

With the presidential election still about a month away, DeSantis and other Republicans are increasingly trying to link the impact of the strike to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee. They have also 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 headed to Taylor County, where the Category 4 hurricane made landfall on Sept. 26.

Asked why he didn’t meet the president in Florida, DeSantis said his event was planned. U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, joined Biden in Taylor County.

Biden and Harris have expressed support for the striking longshoremen.

“This strike is about fairness. Foreign shipping companies have made record profits and executive compensation has increased. The longshoremen who play a vital role in transporting vital goods across America deserve a fair share of these record profits,” Harris said in a statement Wednesday.

Among other things, DeSantis’ executive order also authorized the Florida Highway Patrol to provide escorts for trucks “to ensure the continuous and expedited transportation of merchandise, 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 also includes workers at ports from Maine to Texas.

The strike began Tuesday after the union failed to reach an agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents shipping companies, terminal operators and port authorities.

The Florida Ports Council said the strike will primarily impact container loads that can carry items such as clothing, furniture, cars, construction and hurricane supplies, medical supplies and perishable goods such as fruits, vegetables and seafood.

Cruise operations are not affected.

The strike is expected to impact approximately one-third of JAXPORT’s business, 41 percent of its cargo operations at Port Everglades and 50 percent of its cargo operations at Port Miami.