Van Driver & Farm Worker

Job description

Workers will perform van driving duties, as well as general farm labor and harvesting labor required when not driving.

Van drivers pick up workers from the housing sites/pick up points and drop them off at the worksite. At the end of the workday, Van driver will take the workers back to the housing sites/pick up points. Drivers are also responsible, during the workday, for filling the vehicle with gasoline and keeping it clean. Van drivers perform MSPA and related paperwork (i.e., logging) as required by law. Van drivers will be required to perform daily maintenance checks. Daily logs will be either in paper or electronic forms.

Van Driver Specifications:
For those drivers transporting workers in WA State 12/15 passenger
1. Employee may drive Van over the road.
2. Employee will pick up workers from different housing sites/pick up points and take them to an assigned work site and at the end of the work day. Van driver will then transport employees back to housing sites. If it is pay day or grocery day, Van Driver will transport them to local grocery stores and or banks.
3. In order to drive a Van, Employees must possess a valid drivers' license (state issued) and must be able to pass Class B Physical exam and register as an FLCE driver. Or Mexican Drivers license will be used to apply for FLCE certificate. The employer will be responsible for the cost of the Driver's License, Class B Physical Exam, and registration as an FLCE driver (if any). All employees in this position (H-2A as well as corresponding domestic workers), will be given the opportunity to obtain a driver's license (DL) and register as an FLCE driver on a voluntary basis. The DL and FLCE Certificate are not a pre-hire job requirement. No job applicant will be denied an employment opportunity due to a lack of a DL or FLCE Certificate at the time of application and/or hiring. Further, no worker (H-2A or corresponding domestic worker) will be terminated for failure to obtain a DL or FLCE Certificate. Drivers must not have a license that has been revoked or a license restricted by a court for a driving offense and that is valid under Washington State rules and be accepted by the employer's insurance carrier.

Cherry, Apple and Pear Harvest:
The worker will hand harvest fruit on a motorized platform, from the ground and/ or utilizing a ladder. The worker will attach the harness, bucket or bag and pick low hanging fruit. The worker will pick according to grade, color and size by grasping fruit with their hands and removing it from the tree in a motion that will not harm buds on tree branches. The worker will carry the harness, bucket or bag of fruit and will place the fruit into lugs. The worker must exercise care at all times to prevent bruising of fruit or breaking of branches. Some workers may be tasked with examining harvested fruit in bins and sort out any fruit not meeting the grade, color and size specifications. Additional Duties:
Caring for trees during growing process.
Monitoring tree disease such as blighted branches in apples and gummosis in cherries.
Harvest preparation including spreading liners in bins and rolling bins into blocks by hand.
Loading and unloading empty bins by hand.
Sorting fruit during harvest and verifying quality of fruit
Farm clean up tasks to include picking up garbage around the orchard, removing old string/ wire from trellis/ orchard blocks and other tasks.
Operating farm machinery and/ or motorized vehicles to assist in orchard work and transporting fruit, materials, supplies and workers.
Maintenance tasks for farm machinery.
Assisting Orchard Manager in daily duties
Bin repair

Special Requirements

Enjoys working in a fast-paced, high-energy environment. Excellent communication skills in English and Spanish preferred, but not required. The ability to solve mechanical, hydraulic and electrical problems on farm equipment is preferred, but not required