Free trade, not fair trade, has been the result of 12,547 Maine workers being laid off at 178 factories. Look at the rate for Auburn alone: Pioneer Plastics, 100 unemployed; T.J. Edwards, 15; Bottoms USA, 20. Lewiston suffered even greater losses.

Wallingford Orchards owner Peter Wallingford tells how millions of apples are sent to China from this country, yet they do not eat apples. Those apples come back to the USA as concentrated apple juice. China is unchecked for apple diseases.

Companies there offer poor wages, have no employee safety standards and deplorable working conditions. All apple growers here are subject to laws governing all those. This is a fine example of free trade verses fair trade.

The loss of American jobs means high unemployment, with workers being caught with unemployment debt and without health care.

Rep. Mike Michaud understands my frustration about job loss. His personal experience of layoffs in the craft of producing paper has happened too often.

He and Rep. Tom Allen are opposing the Central America Free Trade Agreement, modeled after NAFTA.

Sens. Snowe and Collins have not yet agreed to work for its defeat.

They should understand Maine’s needs.

David E. Adams, Auburn