Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday he will deploy the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard to ports affected by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike.
In an X/Twitter post, the governor stated that guard members will be deployed to ports affected by the strike “to maintain order and, where possible, resume operations at ports which are otherwise shut down.”
“Disrupting the distribution of food, equipment, and supplies as the Southeast U.S. recovers from Hurricane Helene is unacceptable,” DeSantis said in the post. “Floridians need a reliable, steady supply of resources and building materials to keep their families fed and rebuild their homes and businesses.”
In the post, DeSantis said the Florida Highway Patrol will manage the flow of traffic from all Florida seaports as needed to further speed the flow of goods held up by the strike. He said the Highway Patrol will provide escorts for commercial motor vehicles upon request.
“Unlike the federal government, Florida is taking decisive action to ensure that our economy continues to function and that victims of Hurricane Helene will have access to what they need to rebuild,” DeSantis continued.
The governor also ordered the Florida Department of Transportation to waive the collection of tolls and fees as well as size and weight restrictions for commercial vehicles to speed the transportation of goods and reduce operational costs.
Four of Florida’s ports – Port Everglades, Port Miami, Port Tampa Bay and Jaxport (Jacksonville) – are being impacted by the ILA strike, which is in its third day.