A new deal for Southern California grocery workers got overwhelming support from UFCW members this week.

The offer from Vons, Ralphs, and Albertsons eliminated the two tier wage system which separated employees, keeping newer employees from ever catching up to their veteran counterparts. Moreover, the contract vastly improves the previous health care plans.

"It's a victory for us," said Chris Zazueta, a UFCW member and cashier at a Ralphs in Sherman Oaks. "The industry is getting back on track to what it was before: a decent middle-class job with quality benefits and decent pay."

"We stood up to the employers and we demanded a fair contract and we got one," said UFCW member Sharlette Villacorta, an Albertsons employee in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Los Feliz.

UFCW member Armando Avila, a clerk in the frozen food section of a Vons store in Mission Hills, voiced his approval of the contract as well. "I voted for it," he said, "hands down. "