The Teamsters Union Local 533 and the Regional Transportation Commission, which oversees the Washoe County bus system, will return to the table today at the Nugget at 10 a.m. as talks resume over work rules.

Mike Steele, general manager of RTC Ride, said the two sides are "making progress in terms of communications."

Some of the major issues regarding the new contract include rewriting work rules, reduction in the number of months employees are allowed for a leave of absence, and recognizing Martin Luther King, Jr., Day as a full holiday within the bus schedule.

The previous contract between the Teamsters and the RTC expired on June 12. On June 15, union members voted 130 to 2 to reject management's "last, best and final" offer, after which the RTC agreed to return to the bargaining table. The union struck the bus system for the first time ever in 2002.

A federal mediator is handling the current talks between the two entities.

Teamsters Local 533 represents about 2,200 workers in a variety of businesses and government agencies throughout the region, including about 170 RTC/RIDE drivers, dispatchers and customer service personnel.

The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County is comprised of five elected officials: Reno City Councilmembers David Aiazzi and Dwight Dortch; Sparks Councilmember John Mayer and Washoe County Commissioners Bob Larkin and David Humke.