Stimulus Means Caterpillar Will Rehire Laid Off Workers, Or Does It?

You Have to watch this video and ask yourself - who is telling the truth?


CEO Contradicts Obama on Rehiring Employees
Caterpillar Head Says More Layoffs Likely, Even With Stimulus Funding
BY KAREN TRAVERS AND JAKE TAPPER
Feb. 12, 2009

At a Caterpillar Inc. plant in Peoria, Ill., today, President Obama said that his proposed economic stimulus would allow the company's CEO to rehire recently laid-off employees. But the head of the company said he will have to fire more workers before he can rehire anyone who has been let go.

Obama has said twice in the past two days that Caterpillar CEO James Owens indicated his company would be able to rehire some of the 20,000 recently laid-off employees.

"Yesterday, Jim, the head of Caterpillar, said that if Congress passes our plan, this company will be able to rehire some of the folks who were just laid off," Obama said today in Peoria.

But when asked today if the stimulus could do that, Owens said, "I think, realistically, no. The honest reality is we're probably going to have more layoffs before we start hiring again."


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