Vineyard Workers

Job description

GENERAL VINEYARD WORKER (NON-HARVEST):
Vineyard Worker to perform the following duties:
Fruit thinning, leafing, suckering, hoeing, leafing pruning, installing wire mesh & trellis, harvesting, tractor driving, clean-up, spraying and other related viticulture operations, including sorting grapes in the vineyard.
Assisting in the production, planting, and maintenance of vineyards, which involves preparing the soil, erecting trellis and irrigation equipment, pruning and training vines, and controlling pests/diseases with regular
spraying. Will work in shop on site as needed.

Thinning can mean the removal of either leaves, shoots, or grape clusters from the vine. The purpose is to aid in ripening. These operations occur between 3 and 4 feet above the ground and are either accomplished by hand (leaf removal) or with the use of hand held shears designed for the purpose.

Hoeing is the removal of undesirable (competition for water and nutrients) weeds around the base of the vines. It is accomplished with the use of long handled (approximately 5’) shovels. No kneeling or squatting is required. In most cases this is required once per season. Organic vineyards may require the operation twice.

The job duties of fruit thinning and hoeing will be executed with long-handled hand tools. Occasional or intermittent hand weeding or hand thinning in a stooped, squatting, or kneeling position is incidental to the non-hand weeding and thinning operation and constitutes 20 percent or less of the workers` weekly labor time. Employer will abide by California Code Regulations at Title 8, Section 3456.

Special Requirements

1 month of vineyard work experience. Workers must be able to lift 65 lbs. frequently. No smoking or illegal weapons or controlled substances in the vineyards or in the houses. 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 understand and 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.) Work is performed outdoors in vineyards and can involve exposure to sun, wind, mud, dust, heat, cold, wet, humid, warm, dry, and other elements of the normal field environment.