Farmworkers And Laborers

Job description

Workers will perform assign duties as instructed by their supervisor.
Harvesting citrus fruit by hand under supervisor’s instructions, the worker will place a picking sack over his shoulder and carry an 18’ to 20’ ladder from the field truck to the particular area of the grove to be harvested. The picking sack is a canvas bag equipped with a shoulder strap for support, an opening for the insertion of fruit, and an opening to remove fruit. A full loaded sack weighs between approximately 80 and 100 pounds, depending upon the size, condition and variety of fruit. Worker positions ladder against the tree and within reach of the fruit in a leaning position, taking care not to break limbs, damage the tree, knock of fruit or interfere with other workers, in a secure position to prevent slipping or falling and possible injury to themselves or other workers. Worker will remove fruit from the tree and place into pick sack. When pick sack is full take full sack to fruit tub.
Strawberry Harvest: Workers will move down assigned rows picking all ripe berries, grading berries while harvesting, taking care to sort and pack containers by size, shape, color, quality and quantity as directed. Each worker must pick the plants clean of all ripe fruit, sort and pack all good berries into specified containers, within the box, according to very high quality standards as set forth in the Company Production and Quality Standard. Bad berries will be packed or disposed of as determined by the Supervisor. Each worker shall handle berries carefully to avoid bruising. Bruising will weaken the berry. Each harvesting worker is expected to move with the crew from row to row to maintain the efficiency level. Upon completion of each box picked, the worker will place their assigned numeric sticker on the box, take his/her packed box to the crate shed to be viewed for grade, receive credit on his/her assigned numeric sticker, and receive a new box with containers. Any containers that are over or under packed, or consist of poor quality fruit, will be returned to the worker for repacking. Upon completion of an assigned row, the worker will move to the next vacant row to be picked. Harvester may receive disciplinary notice if quality standards are an issue.
General Field Caretaking: Vaccinating trees, removal of debris, repair irrigation and other grove maintenance.

The worker in order to perform this kind of work must be able to work outside for at least 6 hours a day in all kinds of weather and be in possession of the requisite physical strength and endurance to repeat the picking process rapidly, the employer will provide the tools necessary to perform the described job duties without charge to the worker. The employer will charge the worker for reasonable costs related to the worker’s refusal or negligent failure to return the tools or due to such worker’s willful damage or destruction of the tools.

Employees may volunteer to work additional hours when work is available, there is a possibility that available work hours will be in excess of 20% of the hours offered but they are not guaranteed, the worker is not required to work more than the stated daily hours in the contract and/or on a worker's Sabbath or federal holidays 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. If workers request a leave of absence during the contract period, if the worker has been offered an opportunity to work, the hours will be deducted from the hours offered under the ETA-790 for the purposes of the three-quarter guarantee.

Special Requirements

This type of work, involves working conditions that require tremendous stamina, a high level of physical activity in cold or extremely hot conditions in direct sunlight and in adverse weather such as rain. The work requires a high level of physical conditioning.