ANNA MARIA, Fla — Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he will be deploying resources to Florida ports impacted by the dockworkers strike to decrease supply chain disruptions while the state recovers from Hurricane Helene.
"This has the potential of really disrupting the hurricane recovery and hurting the people who were victims of the storm," DeSantis said at a press conference on the Gulf Coast Thursday.
On Oct. 1, 45,000 dockworkers at 36 U.S. ports from Maine to Texas went on strike for the first time in decades over wages and the use of automation.
Despite lobbying by the National Association of Manufacturers and the National Retail Federation, President Joe Biden has maintained that he has no plans to try to suspend the dockworkers' strike against ports on the East and Gulf coasts.
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DeSantis took to social media after his press conference in Anna Maria, saying, "It is unacceptable for the Biden-Harris administration to allow supply chain interruptions to hurt people who are reeling from a Category 4 hurricane."
The governor said every 36 hours the strike continues is equal to one week of supply chain disruptions.
"This will negatively impact the distribution of cargo, including perishable foods, medical equipment, home goods, electronics, machinery, apparel, vehicles, vehicle parts, lumber, steel... along with other hurricane supplies," DeSantis said. "Do we have time for weeks of disruptions given all that's happened in communities in Florida and throughout the Southeast?"
As Floridians work to rebuild after Helene, the governor says the state has a responsibility to do "everything we can" to keep supplies flowing.
DeSantis announced an executive order that will deploy the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard to critical ports affected by the strike to "maintain order," and "if possible, resume operations," which would otherwise be shut down during this strike.
DeSantis said one third of the commerce coming into JAXPORT would be affected by the strike otherwise, leading to "significant" supply chain disruptions.
The governor is welcoming ships to Florida that may need a place to go amid the strike, saying, "We will work with you to get critical commodities to shore and promptly plugged into the supply chain."
DeSantis said he is also directing the Florida Dept. of Transportation to temporarily waive the collection of tolls and other fees for commercial vehicles using public highways in Florida. He's also directing them to waive the size and weight restrictions normally governing vehicle transportation during this "emergency."