DeSantis is committed to keeping goods flowing out of Florida ports despite an “unacceptable” strike

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that it would deploy the National Guard and State Guard to the state's seaports to ensure the flow of goods continues as the state and the Southeast recover from the effects of Hurricane Helene amid the ongoing longshoremen's strike , calling the Biden-Harris administration’s stance “unacceptable.”

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Big Bend, Florida last week as a Category 4 hurricane, leaving a path of destruction across 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 is complicating response efforts in the region.

The strike by unionized longshoremen at ports on the East and Gulf Coasts has disrupted the regular flow of goods in and out of affected ports, raising concerns about its impact on post-storm recovery. President Biden has so far refused to use its 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 was “unacceptable that the Biden-Harris administration would allow supply chain disruptions to harm people affected by a Category 4 hurricane,” and said his administration would take several steps to To restore the flow of goods from ports to areas affected by the storm.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said it was “unacceptable” that the Biden-Harris administration was not taking action to end the longshore workers' strike following Hurricane Helene. (Pedro Portal/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via / Getty Images)

“On my instructions, that Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard will be deployed to critical affected ports to maintain order and, if possible, resume operations that would otherwise have been suspended during this disruption,” DeSantis said at a news conference.

“The Florida Department of Transportation is coordinating the calls Seaport, train and truck “Our partners must ensure that everyone is adequately prepared and positioned to limit disruptions in the supply chain and other areas should this continue,” he added.

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Hurricane Helene brought heavy rains and historic flooding to areas of the Southeast. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

DeSantis also said he was temporarily waiving tolls and fees on commercial vehicles using public roads in Florida, as well as the size and weight limits that normally apply

DeSantis also directed Florida Highway Patrol to assist in managing traffic flow from Florida's seaports and adjacent streets and highways as needed, with police escorts available upon request by commercial vehicle operators.

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The ILA longshoremen's strike has brought the flow of goods through ports on the East and Gulf Coasts to a standstill. (Mark Felix/AFP via / Getty Images)

“This would already have a significant impact on the country's economy, but for this to happen in a way that could negatively impact the people suffering from a Category 4 hurricane is simply unacceptable,” DeSantis said of the strike's impact on hurricane recovery efforts.

“So it’s really the responsibility of the Biden-Harris administration to do everything in their power to make sure that these goods are where we need them and that people don't have to wait in the cold for these goods if they are somewhere in the ocean and not here in the state Florida, Georgia or North Carolina or wherever people urgently need it, it can be used,” he explained.

“We must accelerate, we have no time for delays, Biden-Harris has a responsibility to stand up for the victims of the storm, to stand up for the people whose homes have been damaged or who have lost their homes, and to ensure that they have everything, what they have. “They have to get back on their feet,” DeSantis said.

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The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA)representing striking port workers, is at an impasse in negotiations with port employers over their demands for wage increases and restrictions on port automation.

ILA President Harold Daggett has signaled that the union is willing to continue its strike to enforce its demands, even if it means causing greater damage to the U.S. economy. “I’m going to cripple you,” Daggett said of the strike’s impact in a September interview. “I’m going to cripple you, and you have no idea what that means. Nobody does.”