Farmworkers/laborers

Job description

We have translated this Agricultural Work Agreement into Spanish and done our best to be accurate in every respect. However, if there is a conflict between the Spanish translation and the English original, the English original controls.

General job requirements

This job requires 3 months of tree fruit experience. Workers must be able to perform all work activities with accuracy and efficiency. Instructions and overall supervision and direction of workers will be provided by a company supervisor.

Crops: Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Red, Grannys, Autumn Glorys and Cosmic apples; Alfalfa hay, timothy hay, and cherries. These crops listed may or may not be planted and employer is not limited to only these crops listed.

APPLE HARVEST: Worker will hand harvest apples. Worker will attach harness, bucket or bag and pick low hanging fruit while standing on the ground and higher branches while standing on a ladder. Worker will pick according to grade, color and size by grasping fruit with the hands and removing from the tree in a motion so as not to harm adjacent buds on the tree branches. Worker will carry harness, bucket or bag of up to 60 lbs. and will place fruit into bins, which hold approximately 22 bushels of fruit. Care must be exercised at all times to prevent bruising of fruit or breaking of branches. Some workers may be required to examine harvested fruit in bins and sort out any fruit not meeting the grade, color and size specifications. Workers must possess the ability to pick up, and handle, a 10 ft. or 12 ft. orchard ladder weighing 40 pounds.

TREE TRAINING: Training of apple trees by limb tying, trellis tying or clipping limbs to wire. Training and limb positioning of apples. Propping and tying of apple trees. Training may be performed from a motorized platform and/or from the ground or a ladder.

THINNING

Hand thinning of apples to ensure proper crop load. Shoot thinning, sucker removal, cluster thinning, shoot positioning, hedging, leaf removal on apple trees.

PRUNING:

Pruning numerous varieties of apple trees according to established company procedures based on the difference in the treatment of different varieties. Pruning will be performed on trees for long periods of time using a variety of pruning equipment including hand shears, hand loppers, power pruners, chainsaws, hand saws, and workers will need to use 8ft. or 10 ft. ladders. Pruning may be done from the ground or a ladder up to 10 feet in height or from a motorized platform. Workers may be required to selectively prune only trees of a certain size and color as instructed by the crew boss.

Workers are expected to possess or acquire pruning skills in order to identify and remove stubs or broken branches, downward growing branches, branches which rub against each other, shaded interior branches, dead wood and shoots/suckers with hand pruning saws and clippers, mechanized equipment in pruning activities.

Special Requirements

See addendum c