BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson will square off against Pennsylvania Farmers Union President Larry Breech for the presidency of the National Farmers Union.

Farmers Union spokeswoman Liz Friedlander said Johnson and Breech were the only candidates to file by the noon Sunday deadline for the race.

The election is Tuesday. The winner will take office immediately in Washington, D.C.

Johnson said earlier that if he's elected, he will step down as state agriculture commissioner, a post he has held the past 12 years. Gov. John Hoeven would appoint his successor.

Farmers Union is one of the nation's largest farm groups, with about 250,000 family memberships.

President Tom Buis is stepping down with a year left on his two-year term to become chief executive officer of a new ethanol group.

NEW YORK — Americans are managing their credit better as the recession deepens — possibly a sign that the new era of responsibility that President Obama has been talking about is taking shape.The number of people three months behind on bank card payments fell 11 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008 from a year ago. Consumers restrained spending during the holidays, adding less than 2 percent to their balances, according to consumer credit tracking agency TransUnion.The percentage of consumers behind 90 days or more on payments for their bank cards fell to 1.21 percent in the fourth quarter, from 1.36 percent a year ago.

DETROIT — The Canadian Auto Workers union said Sunday it had reached a tentative agreement with General Motors Corp. on a multiyear pay freeze and other concessions needed to qualify the company for government aid.The deal freezes wages and pensions through September 2012 and for the first time requires workers and retirees to pay health care premiums. Cost-of-living adjustments also are frozen until June 2012.The deal would extend a previous contract with GM by one year.The two sides met through the night and reached agreement about 5:30 a.m. EDT."Our members have been through so much stress the past four or five months," CAW President Ken Lewenza said at a Sunday afternoon news conference in Toronto."I think removing this cloud over their heads is going to be a huge relief for our members."The union had said Thursday it was willing to help GM's Canadian unit cut costs in its bid to qualify for Canadian government loans.In a statement, GM said the deal "will bring the company's labor costs to much more competitive levels and help ensure the company's long term viability."