(The Center Square) – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on Thursday that deploys National Guard troops to the state’s four major seaports affected by a port workers’ strike.
The order requires National Guard soldiers and Air National Guard airmen to secure, and if necessary, take over cargo operations at Port Everglades, Port Miami, Port Tampa Bay and JAXPORT.
The order will also waive tolls and fees, along with weight and size restrictions, from the Florida Department of Transportation for commercial vehicles.
The Florida Highway Patrol will be dispatched to manage traffic flow from the four ports and escort commercial vehicles if required.
“Disrupting the distribution of food, equipment, and supplies as the Southeast U.S. recovers from Hurricane Helene is unacceptable,” DeSantis said in a Facebook post. “Floridians need a reliable, steady supply of resources and building materials to keep their families fed and rebuild their homes and businesses.”
He also blamed the inaction of President Joe Biden’s administration as one of the reasons for the strike.
The International Longshoreman’s Association went on strike Tuesday at 36 U.S. ports. The union is seeking higher pay and protections against automation. Biden says he wants the two sides to return to the negotiation table, but he says he won’t order the union members back to work while working on a deal under the Taft-Hartley Act.
In another order, DeSantis mandated that the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation temporarily lift time restrictions on rentals for those evacuating from the storm and requiring municipalities and counties covered under the governor’s original emergency declaration to do the same.
“There’s no time for bureaucracy when it comes to helping people get back on their feet following a catastrophic storm,” DeSantis said in a Facebook post. “It will provide more options for immediate housing for those who need a place to stay in either the long-term or short-term as they rebuild and recover.”