Governor of Florida calls Obama strike possible ports block

3:00 PM block, calls, Florida, Governor, Obama, ports, possible, strike No Comments

MIAMI (Reuters) - Florida's Governor wants to call President Barack Obama federal law and order a cooling off period, when nearly 15,000 workers away from the job to a threatened strike, which would be a serious blow to the economy of the State, according to a letter he sent this week to the President.

The International Longshoremen Association maritime Alliance Union and have US focusing shippers and ports since March was collective bargaining but supposedly far from 15 ports on the Gulf of Mexico and eastern coasts, a deal with cargo handling remain.

In October, when a previous Treaty expired, the sides agreed a 90-day extension of terms, which will expire on December 29.

Florida ports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale would be hit directly, through a strike or lockout but a stoppage would also rattle, public transportation and trade, which accounts for 550,000 jobs in the and $66 billion engaged in economic activity, said Florida Governor Rick Scott in a letter dated Thursday.

Scott, "The threat to national safety and security, which would result in mass closure of ports are overvalued can not," Obama said.

Scott said that Obama had to prevent the power of the Taft-Hartley Act in 1947 or to interrupt a work stoppage in ports. Presidents Richard Nixon and George W. Bush both Taft-Hartley, which calls for 80 days cooling-off periods and mediation used, said Scott.

"The Taft-Hartley Act provides your management with tools that can help to avoid this danger," said Scott. "I ask in the name of the State of Florida, respectfully, that you invoke the law when... the contract expires at the end of the month."

(Report by Michael Connor in Miami; Edit by Cynthia Johnston)

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Calif. Governor takes action as gas prices surge

10:30 AM action, Calif, Governor, prices, surge, takes No Comments

Now that refiners have been given the go-ahead to process a less expensive fuel blend, the average price of gasoline in California should go down about 15 cents a gallon. NBC's Brian Williams reports.

California Governor Jerry Brown is taking action in an effort to drive down the cost of gasoline as the state’s drivers cope with record-breaking prices at the pump.

For the third straight day Monday, the statewide average price for a gallon of regular rose to an all-time high, hitting $4.668, according to AAA.

That topped Sunday's price of $4.655 and Saturday's price of $4.6140, which broke the previous record high of $4.6096 per gallon set on June 19, 2008.

Brown on Sunday ordered state smog regulators to allow winter-blend gasoline to be sold in California earlier than usual to bring down prices. Winter-blend gas typically isn't sold until after Oct. 31. Few refineries outside the state are currently making summer-blend gas, putting the pressure on already-taxed California manufacturers.

Gary Kazanjian / AP

Luis Cuevas changes the gas prices at the Shell station off California State Route 99 as truckers deal with rising gas prices in Fresno, Calif.

A temporary reduction in supply has meant that in recent days California’s gas prices have surpassed those in Hawaii to become the highest in the nation.

In some locations, fuming motorists paid $5 or more per gallon while station owners had to shut down pumps in others.

A station in Long Beach had California's priciest gas at $6.65 for a gallon of regular, according to GasBuddy.com. Meanwhile customers at an outlet in San Pablo paid just $3.49, the lowest price in the state.

The average for a gallon of regular was $4.69 in Los Angeles, $4.71 in San Diego and San Francisco, $4.55 in Sacramento and $4.90 in Santa Barbara, according to GasBuddy.com.

The average price for a gallon of gas in the United States rose less than half a cent over the past two weeks, masking a decline in most regions and a sharp spike in California prices, according to a widely followed survey.

Gasoline prices averaged $3.8375 on Oct. 5, up from $3.8338 on Sept. 21, Trilby Lundberg, editor of the Lundberg Survey, said on Sunday.

Prices were down about 3 to 12 cents in most markets except the West, she said.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

In California, the average price per gallon of gas climbed 12 cents overnight to $4.61, matching the state record set in June 2008. Meanwhile, prices in other parts of the state are falling – so why are Californians getting hit so hard? NBC's Diana Alvear reports.

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