Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that he will deploy the National Guard and the State Guard to seaports in the state to ensure goods continue to flow as the state and the Southeast recover from the impact of Hurricane Helene amid the ongoing dockworkers strike, calling the Biden-Harris administration's stance "unacceptable."
Hurricane Helene made landfall last week in Florida's Big Bend as a Category 4 hurricane and carved a path of destruction through the state and into Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The death toll has risen to at least 204, and that number is expected to rise as more areas are searched. Damaged infrastructure has complicated response efforts in the region.
The strike by unionized dockworkers at East and Gulf Coast ports has cut off the regular flow of goods into and out of impacted ports, raising concerns about its impact on recovery from the storm. President Biden has thus far declined to use his legal authority to intervene and impose an 80-day "cooling off" period that would restore operations at ports while negotiations continue.
DeSantis said in a statement that it's "unacceptable for the Biden-Harris administration to allow supply chain interruptions to hurt people who are reeling from a Category 4 hurricane" and explained his administration will take several steps to restore the flow of goods from ports to areas impacted by the storm.
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"At my direction, the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard will be deployed to critical ports affected to maintain order and, if possible, resume operations which would otherwise be shut down during this interruption," DeSantis said at a press conference.
"The Florida Department of Transportation is coordinating calls with seaport, rail and trucking partners to ensure that all are prepared and positioned appropriately to limit disruptions to the supply chain and other areas should this continue," he added.
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DeSantis also said he's temporarily waiving the collection of tolls and fees from commercial vehicles using public highways in Florida, as well as waiving the size and weight restrictions that usually govern
DeSantis also directed the Florida Highway Patrol to help manage the flow of traffic from Florida seaports and adjacent roads and highways as needed, with police escorts available upon request by commercial vehicle operators.
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"This is something that would have significant impacts on the nation's economy anyway, but to have this happen in a way that could negatively impact people that are reeling from a Category 4 hurricane, that is just simply unacceptable," DeSantis said of the strike's impact on hurricane recovery efforts.
"So it really is incumbent upon the Biden-Harris administration to do everything in their power to ensure that these goods are where we need [them] to be, that people are not left hanging out in the cold waiting for these goods if they're sitting in the ocean somewhere and they're not being able to be used here in the state of Florida, or in Georgia, or North Carolina, or where people are going to desperately need this," he explained.
"We need to accelerate, we have no time for delays, Biden-Harris has a responsibility to stand up for the storm victims, stand up for the people who have had their homes damaged or have lost their homes, and make sure they have what they need to get back on their feet," DeSantis said.
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The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), which represents the striking dockworkers, is at an impasse in negotiations with port employers over its demands for wage increases and restrictions on the automation of ports.
ILA President Harold Daggett has signaled the union is willing to persist in its strike to get its demands even if it means inflicting broader damage on the U.S. economy. "I’ll cripple you," Daggett said about the effects of the strike in a September interview. "I will cripple you, and you have no idea what that means. Nobody does."
