Agricultural Equipment Operators

Job description

Workers will perform assign duties as instructed by their supervisor. Agriculture Equipment Operator must have a valid Operator’s license (Class O) required by State and Federals laws, and drivers responsible for transporting workers will be required to have a valid and unexpired Federal Farm Labor Contractor or Federal Farm Labor Contractor Employee Registration with driving authorization. Will be responsible for operating the vehicles used to move crops on the farm. Must be able to safely operate the buses that are used to transport workers to and from work sites. Operate forklifts and equipment used to move supplies and harvesting equipment in the field. Maintain harvest equipment. Must be able to reach, bend and lift items weighing up to 75 pounds, if anything is heavier than 75 lbs., it would be a team effort. The alternative work if needed will be to assist with general farm work such as manual hand labor of apple orchard tree pruning.

Orchard Maintenance.
Worker will climb up and down a ladder, pruning trees using an 8-foot tree pole pruner. Portion of the branch left should be about 0.25-inch-long and just above the branch collar to allow the cut to callus over quicker. Hand pruners and loppers will also be provided for smaller branches. Remove any dead or broken branches, suckers and water sprouts. Remove branches that form too narrow an angle to be corrected with a limb spreader. Also, eliminate spurs or branches that grow downward. Workers must be able handle ladders which are 12 foot in length and weigh up to 40 lbs. Workers will stack tree limbs in designated area, shovel soil, apply fertilizer, pick up rocks, pull weeds, repair irrigation, and must be able to lift and carry up to 50 lbs. Workers must be able to perform manual and mechanized pruning activities with accuracy and efficiency. Stand on their feet for long periods of time, work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Workers will be required to keep all property and housing clean.
Workers who qualify may occasionally operate tractors inside the farm. Los trabajadores que califican ocasionalmente pueden operar tractores dentro de la granja.

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 a possession of the requisite physical strength and endurance, working quickly and skillfully with their hands repeatedly, The employer will provides the tools necessary (if applicable) to perform the described job duties without charge to the worker. Employer may deduct the reasonable cost of damages and/or replacement of tools and/or equipment if such repair or replacement results from willful neglect or gross negligence after the damage has occurred and after gaining the employee's written authorization to make the deduction.

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.

Spanish Translation
Este tipo de trabajo implica condiciones de trabajo que requieren una resistencia tremenda, un alto nivel de actividad fisica en condiciones de frio o calor extremo bajo la luz solar directa y en condiciones climaticas adversas como la lluvia. El trabajo requiere un alto nivel de acondicionamiento fisico.