BOSTON, Massachusetts – August 14, 2007 – Sean O’Brien, Teamsters Local 25 president, sees the launch of its new turn-key streaming TeamstersTV as forever revolutionizing the ways unions communicate with their members.  Local 25, the first Teamster local to stream live monthly meetings over its TeamstersTV network to members, will also include an online instant survey poll feature and an archival rebroadcast capability.

“We are expanding the ways that we build and communicate our vision to our union. This vision includes the Internet and all that it brings. Though we are a local union, what we communicate has to reflect the interests of our members within the context of a global economy. The role of a local union today is more important than ever and with the economic stakes being much higher.  The use of TeamstersTV and the electronic member survey give Teamsters Local 25 results in minutes and hours, not days and weeks. The survey and TeamstersTV together hold great potential to empower and grow our membership,” stated Mr. O’Brien. 

TeamstersTV is a turnkey webcasting system called the Fireside Chat, provided by Fireside Communications. Fireside Chat was developed in partnership with VBrick Systems and Powerstream. TeamstersTV gives participants the ability to interact live with guests and leaders during live broadcast while viewing slide presentations over the Internet.  Recently, TeamstersTV broadcast an “Evening with Lt. Governor Tim Murray and Teamster President Sean O’Brien.” 

“The launch of TeamstersTV is a historic event that I believe will be adopted by every union at the local and national level. What unites us – our values and beliefs – will never change; but the ways we communicate must in order for us to effectively reach and mobilize our 10,000 members whenever and wherever the situation demands. Unions started by helping working people work, and that will never change for the present or future generations of Teamsters,” said Mr. O’Brien. 

“These are exciting times for unions. They can now reach, mobilize and recruit using tools that didn’t exist a decade ago. Streaming video is one of the most powerful tools that will carry the voice of the Teamsters direc