Case Name: James A. TASSIN et al. v. LOCAL 832, the NATIONAL UNION OF POLICE OFFICERS OF the AFL-CIO
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1975-04-15
Citations: 311 So. 2d 591
Docket Number: No. 6700
Parties: James A. TASSIN et al. v. LOCAL 832, the NATIONAL UNION OF POLICE OFFICERS OF the AFL-CIO.
Judges: Before SAMUEL, REDMANN, LEM-MON, GULOTTA and MORIAL, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 311
Pages: 591–594

Head Matter:
James A. TASSIN et al. v. LOCAL 832, the NATIONAL UNION OF POLICE OFFICERS OF the AFL-CIO.
No. 6700.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.
April 15, 1975.
Darryl J. Carimi, Gretna (Bordelon & Carimi, Gretna), for plaintiffs-appellees.
Gerald T. LaBorde, New Orleans (La-Borde & Brooks, New Orleans), for defendant-appellant.
Before SAMUEL, REDMANN, LEM-MON, GULOTTA and MORIAL, JJ.

Opinion:
REDMANN, Judge.
The fourteen policemen of the city of Westwego formed the defendant union. Certain attempts to obtain recognition from the city's mayor and aldermen were unsuccessful. The union therefore placed peaceful pickets, for about an hour and a half on the public sidewalk outside the private businesses of four of the city's five aldermen, with signs describing the mayor and aldermen as unfair for refusal to recognize the union. Two aldermen (one being joined by his business associates) a week later sued for and obtained the appealed injunction against picketing at their businesses and (without any showing) homes. We reverse.
This dispute involves a government employer, and therefore entails, in addition to basic though not determinative freedom of speech issues, the defendant officers' right "peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances," U.S.Const. Amend. 1 (made applicable to the states by Amend. 14). See Gregory v. City of Chicago, 1969, 394 U.S. 111, 113-114, 89 S.Ct. 946, 22 L.Ed.2d 134 (concurrence of Mr. Justice Black).
The government of Westwego is embodied in its Mayor and Aldermen. The aldermen do not have government-provided offices at which they might be petitioned by peaceable assembly. They spend most of their time in their private business pursuits, at their private business places (where they necessarily conduct some of the city's business, at least receiving telephone calls and occasionally signing documents). If the police officers cannot peaceably picket on the public sidewalks at the aldermen's businesses, there is no place for effective petitioning of the Westwego government with peaceable assembly.
One other issue arises from the erroneous naming in the petition and in the injunction of Sidney J. Guillot, the elected chief of police, who was not a member of the union. He alone reconvened for damages. Although no other damages are shown, he is entitled to a reasonable attorney's fee; United Mine Workers v. Arkansas Oak Fl. Co. 1959, 238 La. 108, 113 So. 2d 899. Because his counsel also represented all the other defendants, we conclude $250 would be a reasonable fee.
The judgment is reversed; there is judgment dismissing plaintiff's petition and further judgment for $250 in favor of the substituted heirs of Sidney J. Guillot against plaintiffs. Plaintiffs to bear all costs.