Albertson's employee Oscar Ortiz (right) hands his completed ballot to a Local 770 representative. Photo by Elliott Cohen for SCVNews.com.

Grocery store workers from UFCW Local 770 are voting today in Valencia on whether to accept a wage and benefit deal negotiated with the owners of the Ralphs, Vons and Albertson’s supermarket chains.

At the Embassy Suites hotel in the Valencia Industrial Center, local workers cast their “yes” or “no” votes on the tentative agreement  reached this past week.

Oscar Ortiz, a 19-year Albertson’s employee, said he voted “yes” on the contract.

“Everything I expected stayed the same,” Ortiz said as he exited the voting area.

Rico Valdez, vice president of Local 770, declined to comment about the vote.

The agreement, which would avert a strike, requires a simple majority of union members’ consent to pass. Members of seven United Food and Commercial Workers locals are voting today and Saturday in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

Polling in Valencia for members of Local 770 runs today from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Read a previous story about the contract negotiations here: http://scvnews.com/?p=19266