Caterpillar to lay off 300 workers, all the while asking for H-1B work visas.

Even though Caterpillar is planning on laying off 300 workers, it's also trying to import cheaper workers on H-1B visas. 

jsonline: The chief executive at Caterpillar Inc. says he wants more visas for foreign engineers and a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants, even as the company plans temporary layoffs of up to 300 employees in South Milwaukee.

"Today, we (employers) have gaps in our workforce. We have trouble filling highly skilled positions like engineers and scientists. We also have trouble filling many lower-skilled positions," Doug Oberhelman, chairman and CEO of Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpilla.