Farm Workers And Laborers, Crop

Job description

Burley Tobacco: Duties to include, but not limited to: greenhouse care, setting, topping, oiling, cutting, housing and stripping. Workers will be trained for a period of two days (14 hours) after which the worker will be expected to cut 100 sticks per hour - does not include dropping sticks in field.
Dark Fired Tobacco: Duties to include, but not limited to: greenhouse care, setting, topping, oiling, cutting, housing and stripping. Workers will be required to cut wood and carry to barn to fire the tobacco. Wooden slabs covered with sawdust are placed under the tobacco that is hanging in barn. Slabs are fired to smoke the tobacco and is repeated until the tobacco becomes the appropriate color. Worker will remove remaining ashes after the tobacco is fired. Worker is required to cut/spike 50-60 sticks per hour.
Air Cured Tobacco: Duties to include, but not limited to: greenhouse care, setting, topping, oiling, cutting, housing and stripping.
Other Related Duties for all types of tobacco: Workers may chop weeds between plants with hoe; remove tops and suckers from plants, apply side dressing.
The employer will train new workers in seeding, setting cutting, housing and stripping tobacco for a period of two days (14 working hours). A trained worker is expected to cut 100 sticks per hour for burley tobacco and 50-60 sticks per hour for dark fired tobacco.

Forage: Duties to include, but not limited to: Soil preparation, operating tillage equipment, cutting equipment. Hauling bales to storage barns / farms that purchase hay.

Alternative Work;
General farm maintenance and other duties as required in the farming operation maintenance. Includes, but not limited to, preparing barns, draining fields, preparing land for planting, dropping sticks in field, maintenance of tools & equipment, and other work as directly related to the crop activities for which the worker is hired. Also includes fixing, clearing, and painting of fences / barns. Such work will be offered when climate or crop conditions preclude working in the primary activities listed above and only after the first week guarantee is met.

General Conditions:
A normal work week is Monday through Friday from 08:00 a.m. to 04:00 p.m and Saturday 07:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. If work is available beyond normal workdays, employer may offer, but not require, worker an opportunity to work additional hours. Workers will report to work at designated time and place as directed by assigned employer each day. However, workers may be requested to ten (10) hours per day depending on the conditions in the fields and the maturity of the crops. Also, workers may be requested to work on federal holidays and their Sabbath but will not be required to do so. Workers may volunteer to work additional hours when work is available. Down time: Workers should expect occasional periods of little or no work because of weather, crop or other conditions beyond the employer’s control. These periods can occur any time throughout the season. Worker may be required to work in fields when crops are wet with dew / rain and should have suitable clothing for conditions which include light rain and temperatures ranging from 10 degrees to more than 100 degrees. Workers should be able to stand, bend, stoop and work for prolonged periods of time and be physically fit to perform duties as assigned. Workers will be trained for period of two (2) days (14 hours) after which workers will be expected to perform job required, i.e. cut 100 sticks per hour. Care must be exercised at all times to prevent bruising or breaking crops. Care must also be exercised in using tobacco knives and spears, while climbing and standing on barn rails, or with any use of equipment.

Special Requirements

Physically able to bend, stoop, and able to stand on feet for long periods of time. Physically able to meet and perform all job specifications. May be required to take random drug and / or alcohol tests, at no cost to the worker. Testing positive or failure to comply may result in immediate termination from employment. All testing and background check will occur after employment has started and is not a part of the interview process. May be required to submit a criminal background check, at no cost to the worker. Felony convictions that employer reasonably believes, consistent with current law, will impair the safety and living conditions of other workers or other individuals on the farm will result in immediate termination. Failure to comply with request for criminal background check may result in immediate termination of employment.