Interviewer(s): T. McGuire. Port Sulphur, LA

Affiliation: University of Arizona

Burt Turlich's neighbor, Paul Hingle, came over to borrow a ladder from Burt during an interview for the history project (see TM030). Paul mentioned that he had worked for Phillips for 20 years, and agreed to be interviewed the next day. The interview, and subsequent talk after the tape ended, contains very frank observation of working for a company undergoing the downsizing process - Paul is rather bitter about it. He also discusses community and politics in Port Sulphur, and some of the changes occurring after the schools were integrated.

Paul Hingle, Jr. was born and raised in Plaquemines Parish and is now 50 years old. His father owned a ballroom and a little hotel right down the road from where Paul now lives. After high school, Paul started working for the parish, then became a commercial fisherman, doing that for about nine years. He then worked in the oil field for Phillips until he got laid off in June of 2002, for reasons that he still can't understand. He was looking forward to retiring with the company at age 55. For Phillips, he was a boat captain and field operator, working 7 and 7 shifts. Subsequent to getting laid off, he took a 7 and 7 job with a contract company operating a gas tank battery. He got married after high school, divorced, remarried, and is now a single parent.