Teamsters get their occupation on in FL, PA, WA, WI, IL, GA, NY, MN, TN and Canada

Occupy Seattle.

(UPDATE: ADDING Knoxville.) Nearly a thousand cities were occupied on Saturday by people protesting corporate greed, inequality and the global financial system. Many Teamster members and Local Unions are supporting local Occupations. TeamsterNation took a quick look around the Internets and found Teamsters everywhere -- in Tampa, Naples, Savannah, Chicago, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Vancouver, well, you get the picture.

One of the most surprising Occupations was in Naples, Fla., where donna816 tweeted a twitpic of Teamsters holding "Stop the War on Workers" signs.

@mygirls3333 tweeted:

Very surprised at the turnout down here in Naples (Very red county) I thought it would be about 20-30 over 100 showed

Occupy Naples

Florida Teamsters were in Tampa, too. Tweeted @rarteaga78:

@OccupyTampa Where n time to occupy, coming from Lakeland. Representing #teamsters local 79. #Latinos #occupy presente

Teamsters joined the AFL-CIO and SEIU in leading the Occupation of Chicago, where 2,000 showed up Saturday to support the encampment in front of the Federal Reserve.  One hundred seventy five protesters were arrested, many voluntarily. The Chicago Sun-Times reported, 

Occupying Wall Street.

Earlier Saturday evening, activists and several union representatives, including the Chicago Teachers Union and the Teamsters, spoke at a rally at the end of the march. At one point an organizer called for rapper Lupe Fiasco to speak, but if he was in the crowd, he did not take the microphone.

@solbutterfly tweeted:

The Teamsters are here!!!! @OccupyChicago

@exileinflyville tweeted:

Teamsters are here from Local 705. @OccupyChicago #campoutchi #ows #occupychi 

Pennsylvania Teamsters have been supporting the Occupy movement for weeks. Here's a tweet from Occupy Pittsburgh:

yinzr:...the #OccupyPittsburgh rally at Market Square. Which is why we must. #Teamsters #SEIU Show numbers; figure out demands later. [2/3]

And our Teamster brother Rick Smith Occupied Harrisburg.

Occupy got going in Canada on Saturday, and our Teamsters Canada brother Patrick Sowassey supports the movement. He tweeted

#OWS in Vancouver approx 5,000+ Stop the war on workers

Dustin Saunders, a shop steward for Teamsters Canada, tweeted some good advice:

@yard945: If you are fed up with corporate greed and plan to attend an occupy Canada Event, do it tastefuly, lawfully and with Teamsters pride!

We understand the Teamsters Occupied Savannah from this tweet: Local 320 in Minneapolis encouraged members to Occupy Duluth. Local 174 encouraged members to Occupy Seattle.

Two of our Teamster sisters Occupied Knoxville. From the Teamster Women Facebook page we learn,

Lori Mize and Kelly Andrews in Knoxville TN at the Occupy march thru town. It was a beautiful day and because there was a Volunteer football game, a lot of people saw us. It felt so good to contribute. Get out and be heard and counted. This was a small group but it still mattered. Participate!!

And Teamsters Local 344 President Phil Neuenfeldt posted this message on Facebook, encouraging Wisconsin Teamsters to Occupy Milwaukee, Green Bay, Madison, Appleton or New Berlin:

@OccupySavannah: TEAMSTERS ARE ON THE WAY.

Across the country, the 99 percent are standing up and speaking out against corporate greed, the corporate takeover of politics, joblessness and the financial meltdown which tailspinned our economy. This weekend marks a global day of solidarity with the Occupy Movement.

The 99 percent will not be silenced as the 1% consolidates our country’s wealth.

Occupy events are taking place at various locations across Wisconsin beginning Friday, October 14.

We are protesting the misplaced priorities that have rewarded corporate CEOs and Wall Street bankers and left millions of Americans to suffer. Wall Street and corporate America wrecked our economy, it is time that banks and big corporations step up to fix it. It is time they invest in America and start creating the kind of good jobs that support a family by rebuilding our infrastructure and improving our schools.

This weekend, we encourage you to support a local Occupy action. Stand up and speak out for good jobs in our communities and a better direction for our state.

In Solidarity,
Phil Neuenfeldt, President
Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary-Treasurer