Farmers, union members and sugar workers united during a rally in Moorhead Tuesday to denounce a trade deal they said endangers the livelihood of many in the Red River Valley.

"Our way of life is being threatened," local farmer Paul Rutherford told a gathering of about 60 opponents of the Central American Free Trade Agreement, better known as CAFTA.

"CAFTA hurts everyone in our community," he said. The valley's sugar beet industry is estimated to contribute $2 billion to the area's economy.

Rally participants called on the U.S. House to vote "no" on the deal, which passed the U.S. Senate on June 30.

President Bush has said CAFTA would bring economic growth to Central American nations by reducing tariffs on U.S. goods - therefore increasing foreign imports, including sugar. But valley workers see problems in their communities if it passes.

"There will be a hit to electrical co-ops," said Wes Lennox, a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He said his industry will suffer if production plant operations decrease.

Other concerns about CAFTA include the possibility that labor laws cannot be adequately enforced outside the United States.

Steve Hunter, a member of union worker federation AFL-CIO, said CAFTA would repeat the failure of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA.

Signs urged, "No more NAFTAs."

"Twelve years ago, NAFTA was supposed to be a catalyst," he said before saying 1 million Mexican farmers lost their jobs as a result of poor regulations set in place.

Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., who spoke to attendees via speakerphone, said the House vote on CAFTA will be close, but he predicted it will be defeated. It faces a September deadline in the House.

"This is a bad deal for us," Peterson said. The deal's vague language will lead to poor regulations, as happened with NAFTA, he said.

Peterson praised the Fargo-Moorhead Chamber of Commerce for opposing CAFTA. The chamber has "been under pressure to change their minds," he said.

Rutherford is also among those urged by Peterson to stand by their opposition. "I'm a third generation farmer," Rutherford said. "This is something I want to pass on to my son."

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