DeSantis Sends in National Guard to Florida Ports Amid Strike

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has deployed the National Guard to ports throughout the state to “resume operations” where possible amid the ongoing International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike.
The Republican governor announced the plan at a media briefing in Manatee County on Thursday, during which he discussed his state’s recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene ripped through the southeastern United States last week.
On Tuesday, over 45,000 dockworkers in the ILA went on strike over demands for higher pay and other job security guarantees, impacting 36 U.S. ports stretching from Maine to Texas.
DeSantis told reporters that the Florida National Guard and State Guard will be sent to ports in the state impacted by the strikes “to maintain order and, if possible, resume operations which would otherwise be shut down during this interruption.” DeSantis also took steps to waive toll fees and size and weight restrictions for commercial vehicles traveling through Florida and ordered the state’s Highway Patrol to manage traffic from the state’s ports “to further expedite the flow of goods that are currently being held up.”
“I would say that this is something that would have significant impacts on the nation’s economy anyways, 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,” the governor added.
DeSantis also accused President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of not doing “everything in their power to ensure that these goods are where we need to be” in light of Helene’s devastation. Biden said he would not use federal power to end the strike but acknowledged on Wednesday that the ILA strike is creating a “man-made disaster.”
“We’re getting pushback already, and we’re hearing from the folks recently that they’re having trouble getting products they need because of the port strike,” the president said while also supporting the ILA’s demands for higher wages.
Jaclyn Rothenberg, the director of public affairs for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told Newsweek over email on Thursday that there “are currently no issues moving relief supplies for Hurricane Helene through the designated ports being used, and FEMA is currently working on a contingency plan if needed to fulfill shipping and delivery needs.”
Dockworkers at the ILA went on strike for the first time since 1977 after its union negotiators failed to reach contract agreements with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). The alliance had offered 50 percent in raises over a six-year contract, although union leaders are demanding a 77 percent increase over the same period.
On Thursday, the ILA announced that it reached an agreement with the USMX to suspend its strike until January 15 to allow both sides “to return to the bargaining table to negotiate all other outstanding issues.”
Biden celebrated the decision in a statement later that same evening, writing, “Today’s tentative agreement on a record wage and an extension of the collective bargaining process represents critical progress towards a strong contract.”
Update 10/3/24, 8:21 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional comment from FEMA.