Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced he is mobilizing the Florida National Guard to work around the East Coast port strike.
"At my direction, the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard will be deployed to critical ports affected by the strike to maintain order and, if possible, resume operations which would otherwise be shut down during this interruption," DeSantis said at a shorefront press conference Thursday. "The Florida Department of Transportation is coordinating calls with seaport, rail and trucking partners to ensure the guardsmen are prepared and positioned to limit disruptions to the supply chain and other areas should this continue."
DeSantis added that the Florida DOT is waiving tolls and weight restrictions for commercial vehicles during the emergency. The order should help expedite the movement of goods impacted by the port strike, DeSantis said.
"To have this (port strike) happen in a way that could negatively impact people that are reeling from a Category 4 hurricane is simply unacceptable," DeSantis said. He called on the Biden administration to ensure goods are delivered to where people need them.
Hurricane Helene ravaged much of the Southeast over the weekend. As of Thursday morning, more than 20,112 Floridians are still without power, according to a response and recovery update. The state has so far restored nearly 2.4 million accounts.
Thousands of dockworkers on the East and Gulf Coasts began striking Tuesday following months of unsuccessful contract renewal negotiations between the International Longshoremen's Association and employer group United States Maritime Alliance.
The White House has signaled Biden won't use his authority to order longshoremen back to work.
Port Strike: Ships Pile Up After Threat To 'Cripple' Economy
Previous Strike Workarounds
DeSantis' order Thursday is reminiscent of former President Ronald Reagan's handling of the 1981 air traffic controller strike.
On Aug. 3, 1981, more than 12,000 members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) began striking for higher wages and shorter hours after negotiations with the Federal Aviation Administration broke down. The strike threatened to shut down air travel and freight, which would have dealt a massive blow to the economy.
Reagan vowed to fire striking members and Federal judges levied $1 million fines per day against the union. Roughly 3,000 supervisors, 2,000 nonstriking controllers and 900 military controllers worked through the strike, which kept 80% of flights operating normally.
Reagan kept his promise and on Aug. 5 began firing more than 11,000 controllers and imposed a lifetime ban on rehiring strikers. The Federal Labor Relations Authority decertified PATCO in October 1981. The new air traffic controllers organized a new union to represent them, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. The NATCA was certified as the sole bargaining unit for air traffic controllers in 1987.
Former President Bill Clinton eventually reversed the ban on rehiring strikers in 1993.
DeSantis is trying to find a workaround to keep ports open, but he doesn't have the authority to fire the dockworkers, even those within Florida.
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