Actor/Producer Mark Walberg and the A&E Network have begun filming of a new reality show that will “focus on the lives and struggles of members of Boston’s Teamsters Local 25.” The union’s president Sean O’Brien, told reporters the show’s crew filmed Local 25’s membership meeting just over a week ago, (now there’s some riveting television) and that they’ll come back to get more footage as soon as all parties involved “tie up some legal issues.” According to A&E, the show is “set in the real-life world that provided such color to films as The Fighter and The Departed.” The network says the show will also give viewers “a first hand glimpse of the most legendary union in the most aggressive and territorial city in America: Boston. Here, the Teamsters Local 25 battle for the rights of their 11,000 members.” And how is this a reality show again? While details are few, it is confirmed the show will prominently feature O’Brien, the local’s popular president and IBT rising superstar. O’Brien, a close friend of Walberg, was recently made a member of the IBT Executive Board and has been a staunch vocal Hoffa supporter. It’s also widely believed that O’Brien will likely become the third Local 25 president to move on to the International presidency. (Hoffa is not expected to seek reelection.) The Boston Herald describes Local 25 as having “a long, colorful, and sometimes troubled history.” (And good luck finding a Teamsters local without one.) And at least one rank and file member is concerned. “What if Local 25 looks too much like Teamsters of the past?” he asks. “Is this movie thing just going to be a puff piece for Sean, polishing his image for a run as international president?” The local represents, along with UPS drivers and others, the truck drivers for film crews while working in the Boston area. And over the years officials of the local have been accused of shaking down Hollywood types to the point filmakers were avoiding Boston altogether and were quite vocal with state politicians about why. Walberg, meanwhile, worked closely and well with Local 25 (his father was a member) as the producer of The Fighter and Good Will Hunting. O’Brien’s predecessor as local president was George Cashman , a former truckdriver who like O’Brien, was elected as reform candidate to “sweep the place clean.” Early on Cashman stood up to the old guard and demanded from them an end to shakedowns, until he ended up at the bottom of a flight of stairs at the union hall with a broken leg. Later Cushman was heavily implicated himself in a federal grand jury corruption probe and as part of his plea bargain Cushman revealed he had 18 ineligible people enrolled in the union’s healthcare plan as favors. Meanwhile, the IBT seems to be banking on the show as a vehicle to not only position O’Brien to replace Hoffa but to also put some much needed spin on the life of a typical Teamster. “We would want the members to be front and center,” a Teamsters insider said. “The workplace leaders –the stewards–would be shown organizing, defending workers rights, and fighting against employers, while at the same time disagreeing, when necessary, with their own higher-level elected union officials.” Sounds like a great script, but again, isn’t this a reality show?
