TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Gas and other chemicals arrive in Tucson via the railroad system, which transports over 300,000 barrels of crude oil each day. The railway worker strike that is set to start on Friday morning would cause a major disruption to this system, causing gas prices to increase.
Rob Benedict, the VP of Petrochemicals and Midstream at the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, said the impact from the strike on gas prices would happen quickly.
“We look at this a lot as this is something that will have a relatively immediate impact on the consumer,” he said. "It's something that we'll in a matter of three, five, seven days."
Refineries rely heavily on the railway system. Benedict said they are already working at 100 percent, sending as much product as they can to lower the prices already.
"When storage reaches capacity, there’s no place to move the product that we make so the logical solution is that the product production has to be slowed," he said.
Tucsonan Anthony Minor is already frustrated with the high prices for gas, but he understands the railway workers strike. He hopes that they come to a decision soon.
"You might deserve the higher wages and all that but maybe all sides can get together and come to a plan," he said. "And say 'Maybe we can do this for you a little bit later, but lets let things get better for the rest of the world first'.”
The AFPM sent a letter to congress urging them to resolve this as soon as possible.
"We respect the positions of the railroads and we respect the decision of the labor unions," he said. "And we hope they reach an agreement soon but if they don’t, we need congress or the president to step in.”
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