Vineyard Worker/driver

Job description

Agricultural Field Worker (Wine Grapes).

This job offer includes the following crop activities:

Work in grape vineyards all season through harvest, including the wine-grape harvest work of cutting grape bunches off of grape vines and into a tub/lug, then the tub/lug then dumped into a bin/gondola. Other incidental harvest work includes weed control and property maintenance, leaf picking, crop thinning, tally sheet recording, and picking with a machine harvester. Use sharp picking shears, standing and kneeling on ground to pick fruit. General, non-harvest, vineyard work including the preparing the soil, erecting trellis and irrigation equipment, pruning and training vines, and controlling pests/diseases with regular spraying. Daily work requires lifting, bending, kneeling, walking and carrying up to 50 pound trays. Work in cold, hot, windy and damp weather. Work hours vary and night shifts may be required.

Works as a member of a crew, or individually performing moderately complex tasks. Use standard tools such as rakes, hoes (long handled) and shovels. Workers may occasionally and/or sporadically perform duties associated with and directly related to wine grape vineyard and harvest work including but not limited to packing, closing/stacking boxes in and around the vineyard, and clean-up functions in and around the vineyard. Such work will be temporary and insubstantial agricultural labor.

The workers will not be using a hoe, neither a long-handled hoe (longer than 4 feet) nor a short-handled hoe (shorter than 4 feet). For the task of weed control, the workers will use weed eaters. As the weed eaters are 6 feet long, the workers will not be using the weed eaters in a stooped, kneeling, or squatting position.

Additionally, the workers will be hand thinning crops and leaves. These tasks will be done standing, squatting, and kneeling. Crop thinning and leaf removal cannot be done with a hoe, as the leaves and excess grapes are attached to the vine, not the ground. Further, the use of tools damages the crops as the tools provide less precision than by hand. Both crop thinning and leaf removal via hand thinning are essential for wine grape harvest as it improves vine air circulation, exposes the grapes to a greater amount of sunlight, and improves the overall quality of the grapes.

Huneeus assures it will provide gloves, knee pads, and training to avoid work-related injuries, at no cost to the workers. Employer assures it is compliant with California rules applicable to weeding.

Workers will also sort and stem grapes in their natural state.

Crew Leader: Direct and monitor the work of other farm workers to ensure workers are following the instructions of the Supervisor and keeping up with the pace of the crew.

1. Driver may drive over the road in passenger truck.
2. Driver will drive designated trucks to transport crew workers to and from housing and worksite locations, when necessary. Driving job duty is not a different job and the drivers perform harvesting job duties when not driving.
3. Driver will be responsible for filling truck with fuel and keeping vehicle clean.
4. Driver will be required to complete and process periodic driving reports as required by state laws.
5. Driver will be required to follow all traffic laws and if applicable.
6. In order to drive, drivers must possess a valid authorized driver’s license and must be able to pass DOT (Department of Transportation) recognized medical exam and fulfill all other DOT requirements.
7. The employer will be responsible for the cost of the registration as an FLCE driver (if any).
8. Responsible for ensuring that seat belts are worn by all other employees riding in the truck. Responsible to driving to stores and banks, when necessary.

Special Requirements

Special requirements: 3 months of pruning, suckering, leaf pulling, and thinning experience. Workers must be able to lift 50 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 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 and other elements of the normal field environment.