NALC and USPS Agree to 2 Into 1 Casing Process for Peak Season

The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) and the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) have entered into an agreement regarding the implementation and use of the 2 into 1 casing process to temporarily reclaim floor space to accommodate peak season delivery volumes. The 2 into 1 casing process is a system in which two city delivery routes with different start times will share carrier casing equipment to prepare mail for delivery. The agreement can be viewed in PDF format here. The parties have agreed the 2 into 1 casing process will only be implemented in sites jointly selected by the national parties. The 2 into 1 casing process will begin no earlier than October 30, 2021 and will conclude no later than January 22, 2022. According to a letter carrier familiar with the process, carriers have been told the process is solely intended to save space on the workroom floor during peak holiday season, and not to save money for the USPS. Using the process, regular letter carriers case their own routes. For example, one carrier starts at 6:30 AM and the second carrier starts at 8:00 AM. The goal is said to limit casing time to one hour per route. The carrier familiar with the process adds: “They have labels for both routes and you flip the plastic label holders over. They are held on with plastic clips. The bottom one is held by Velcro and constantly falls down and off.” The agreement was signed by David Mills, Director Labor Relations Policies and Programs, United States Postal Service and Brian Renfroe, Executive Vice President, National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL-CIO.