Play ball! So says the Association of Minor League Umpires (AMLU), whose 200 members voted earlier this week to accept a contract negotiated with Minor League Baseball. AMLU is affiliated as Guild 322 of the Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU). The pact marks the first contract negotiated by the league and the union since the one that settled the nearly yearlong strike during the 2006 season.

AMLU President Shaun Francis noted the importance of the 2006 strike and the union’s OPEIU affiliation in arriving at the deal with team owners:

It is exciting to have such a good contract and get it done before the December holidays. In this deal we have more money and a better overall contract than what we were able to get last time after a strike. It’s clear to me that this union’s solidarity and determination in 2006 was one of the driving forces behind getting a deal done this time around. And our affiliation with OPEIU gave us the strength and the resources we needed to get a deal done.