MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed an executive order directing state agencies to be ready to “maintain order” at seaports amid the ongoing International Longshoreman’s Association strike.
At a news conference that morning in Manatee County, the governor previewed Executive Order 24-213 as a precautionary measure given the potential that strike-related shutdowns at Florida’s four major seaports — JAXPORT, Port Tampa Bay, Port Everglades, and PortMiami — could negatively impact efforts to recover from Hurricane Helene along the Gulf.
“At my direction, the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard will be deployed to critical ports affected to maintain order and, if possible, resume operations which would otherwise be shut down during this interruption. Florida Department of Transportation is coordinating calls with seaport, rail and trucking partners to ensure that all are prepared and positioned appropriately to limit disruptions to the supply chain and other areas,” DeSantis said.
Section 3. I order the Adjutant General to activate the Florida National Guard, as needed, to deal with this emergency and to respond to any disruptions caused by the ILA Strike referenced in Executive Order 24-213. I further order the Director of the State Guard to activate the Florida State Guard, as needed, to respond to this emergency and to any disruptions caused by the ILA Strike referenced in Executive Order 24-213.
STATE OF FLORIDA | OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR | EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 24-213 (Emergency Management - Amending Executive Order 24-208 - Hurricane Helene) | (EXCERPT)
The order amends the existing state of emergency Gov. DeSantis declared in 61 Florida counties on Helene’s approach. A state of emergency is now additionally declared in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties “for the limited purpose of responding to any disruptions caused by the ILA Strike,” EO 24-213 states.
Full implementation of the order’s directives would entail waived tolls and other fees on public highways for commercial vehicles, as well as waived size and weight restrictions, in order to expedite the movement of goods. The Florida Highway Patrol, too, would potentially be called upon to help manage traffic flow, as the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will act upon request to provide designated law enforcement escorts from FHP for commercial motor vehicles.
A “seaport operations task force” will also be convened, comprised of representation from every seaport and other maritime stakeholders “to study the potential economic or operational impacts of labor disruptions at seaports in the State of Florida and to consider all logistical and operational options for mitigating such impacts.” This task force is ordered to issue a report no later than July 1, 2025, which will provide recommendations to mitigate future labor disruptions at Florida seaports, the document states.
JAXPORT, Port Tampa Bay, Port Everglades, and PortMiami are reported to be among the Atlantic and Gulf seaports where tens of thousands of union members halted work Tuesday in an ongoing dispute with the United States Maritime Alliance.
Among the union members’ demands are an annual $5-an-hour increase over the course of the next six-year contract, provisions against the introduction of automation or semi-automation and royalties on containers.
According to the Florida Ports Council, the strike is expected to primarily affect container cargo — as opposed to bulk cargo — adding in a statement that it has “a genuine concern about getting much-needed supplies to storm-ravaged communities in Florida and up the Eastern seaboard.”
EO 24-213 took effect upon being signed and will expire at the same time as Executive Order 24-208.
Watch Thursday’s news conference again in the video player below or by clicking here.
News Service of Florida’s Jim Turner contributed to this report.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: