General Laborers

Job description

General Laborers to perform the following duties:

1. Field Work: Workers will engage in cutting, washing, bagging, sealing, packing, and loading boxes, crates, or bins of the following produce: broccoli, cauliflower, celery, green beans, green leaf lettuce, iceberg lettuce, cabbage, romaine lettuce (including hearts), kale, and head lettuce (including core).
2. Tractor and Machine Operation: Workers will operate tractors and machines for harvesting. The tractors have a gross weight capacity under 26,000 lbs; therefore, a commercial driver’s license is not required.
3. Product Washing: Workers will wash products when they are on tables or conveyor belts after cutting.
4. Loading and Tying Products: Workers will load and tie products onto field trailers that are pulled by tractors.
5. Crew Leader Assistance: Workers may assist the Foreman/Crew Leader with production duties as a Crew Leader Helper.
All duties listed above are to be performed on the farm.
BROCCOLI
Cutting
Cutting is performed by walking on uneven furrows behind a harvesting machine. The cutter will determine the size and quality of the product to be harvested according to quality and size specifications provided by the foreman. Using a small harvesting knife and bending at the waist, the worker will cut the broccoli at the specified length of the stalk into spears, florets, or crowns. Cutting must be performed in a safe manner to prevent self-inflicted injury or injury to nearby workers. When the machine is turning at the end of the furrow, cutters may move ahead to cut broccoli and place it onto the packing table or conveyor belt.
Packing
The packer will examine the product for defects before performing any of the following actions: cutting into stalks, florets, or spears; sorting; bagging; sealing; and packing the product into the desired pack style or carton according to size and quality specifications. The packer selects the required carton or box from the overhead compartment, marks it with a black crayon, and places their personal packer identification number on it. The finished product is then placed into the carton up to the correct count, the box is closed, and it is pushed onto a conveyor that transports the carton to the trailer for loading. Bagging, sealing, and packing may involve multiple packing styles simultaneously.

Box Making
The box maker constructs cartons and assembles plastic totes for the product by unfolding and bending the material as designed to form a box while ensuring the packaging material is free of contaminants and undamaged. They ensure boxes are properly closed and place corresponding trace-back labels on them. Box makers carry carton bundles and transfer finished cartons or totes to the loader for palletization, ensuring packers have an adequate supply throughout the day and maintaining a clean work area. They may assist loaders with stacking boxes or securing loads as needed.
Loading
The loader stacks finished boxes onto pallets on the deck of the harvester or trailer, ensuring each pallet contains 48 boxes and that the weight is properly distributed with the trace-back sticker facing outward. They secure the load with V-boards, corner boards, and/or straps once the load reaches the required number of cartons before transferring it to the trailer for transport to the cooler. Cartons, totes, RPCs, or bins with the product can weigh up to 38 lbs. (RPC), 25 lbs. (boxes), and pallets can weigh up to 75 lbs.

Special Requirements

Three months of experience in harvesting vegetables. Cannot be color blind due to the need to distinguish colors of crops for proper ripeness and maturity, no smoking, illegal drugs, alcohol, or weapons of any sort in the housing or work fields. Ability to communicate in English or Spanish is required for training and safety purposes. Work is performed outdoors in open fields and can involve exposure to sun, wind, mud, dust, heat, cold and other elements of the normal field environment. Temperatures can range from 50 degrees F to over 90 degrees F during the period of employment. Workers should come prepared with appropriate clothing and footwear for the work and working conditions described.