Field Laborer / Equipment Operator

Job description

At the beginning of the contract period, the Company will state in writing to all workers the following: All workers will have the opportunity to perform every single job duty present in this job order, including working with agricultural equipment operations or hand labor. All employees (H-2A and corresponding domestic workers) will sign up to perform the duties they have a preference to do for the season. The Employer will do its best to respect the Employees’ preferences on which job duties to perform. Employees may elect during the contract period to change job duties i.e., move from hand harvest to machine harvest or from machine harvest to hand harvest.

Job Duties/Description – Vineyard Laborer

Wine Grape Harvest Workers use a knife to cut grape bunches off of grape vines and into a tub (also called a lug). The tub/lug is then dumped into a bin (also called a gondola). Other incidental activities that the employers indicated are tractor driving, weed control and property maintenance, leaf picking, crop thinning, tally sheet recording, and picking with a machine harvester. The employer will abide by 8 Cal. Code Regulations Section 3437, 3456(b-c).

The job duties/description includes all aspects of vineyard related duties as listed below:

A – STANDARD FARMING
• Applying Fertilizer by Hand to Vines – Able to life 50lbs.
• Bank Stabilization of Vineyards using hand pick and shovel
• Cane Cutting with hedge trimmers and pruning shears
• Canopy Management – tuck canes
• Carton/Tube Vines (Placement by hand)
• Clearing/Breakdown Trellis using wire cutters
• Clearing Brush in Vineyards using loppers and pruning shears
• Cover/Uncover Heads (Vines) using shovel
• Cut Dead Arms using loppers and hand saw
• Erosion Control using shovel
• Fruit Thinning with thinning shears
• Hoeing in vine rows using hand hoe (5 ft.) and shovel
• Install Drip System using shovel
• Install Sprinkler System/New Vineyards using shovel
• Install Vineyard Deer Fences using post hole digger and shovel
• Install Wires/New Vineyards using pliers and wire tensioner tool
• Leaf Removal
• Make (Select) Budwood using pruning shears
• Perimeter Maintenance of Vineyards using chain saws, weed eaters and loppers
• Planting using shovels
• Remove Diseased Vines using shovel
• Replanting using shovel
• Root Removal with repetitive bending down
• Shoot Tipping with hedge trimmers and pruning shears
• Staking using hand-held post pounder
• Suckering
• Tractor Driving (once training has been completed by certified trainer)
• Training with pruning shears, ring knife and hand saw
• Trellis Repair & Maintenance of vineyards using handheld post pounder and pliers
• Trim Vines/Rootstock using pruning shears
• Tying using ring knife and pruning shears
• Weed Eating Vine Rows using gas-powered weed eater

B – HARVEST
• Caravan Equipment – moving equipment
• Set Up to Pick (Hand or Machine harvest)
• Picking – Hand
• Driver/Checker
• Sorting – Hand Crew
• Sorter/Gondola
• Loading Fruit / Forklift
• Lighting / Operator
• Tractor Driver / Gondola
• Harvester Operator
• Spotter
• Harvester Clean-up

Hours offered may vary with machine harvest hours ranging from 40-50 or higher hours per week.

Special Requirements

Minimum Job Qualifications for both Grape Harvest Workers and Equipment Operators:

1 month of farming experience is required. Experience with wine grapes and/or vineyards is not required, training will be provided. Workers must be able to lift 50 lbs. frequently.

No smoking, drinking, or illegal weapons or controlled substances in the fields or in housing. Cannot be color blind due to the need to distinguish colors of crops. Able to stoop, bend, and work in cold and wet conditions. Able to use tools such as pruning shears, grape knives, hand saws, weed eaters, hedgers, shovels. Workers may use chains saws. Safety use and training provided by employer. Workers must abide by Employer housing rules. Ability to communicate in English or Spanish is required for training and safety purposes. (i.e., Workers must listen to, understand, and follow instructions of Employer supervisors and managers).