Vineyard Workers And Van Drivers

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.

WINE GRAPE HARVEST:
Wine Grape Harvest Workers use a knife to cut grape bunches off of grape vines and into a tub (also called a lug). The tub/lug is then dumped into a bin (also called a gondola). May drive a tractor directly in connection with picking grapes. Tractor driving, weed control and property maintenance, leaf picking, crop thinning, tally sheet recording, and picking with a machine harvester. In the shop which is on the farm, prepare and maintain farm vehicles, implements, and mechanical equipment for harvest. The employees will not be engaged in mechanic work. Tractors have a capacity of under 26,001 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). Commercial drivers' license is not required to drive tractors.

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.

Workers will also harvest olives.

VAN DRIVING:

CAL VAN/VAN DRIVER SPECIFICATIONS:
1. Employee may drive Cal Van (not busses) over the road.
2. Employees pick up workers from different housing sites/pick up points and takes them to an assigned work site and at the end of the workday takes them back to the housing site/pick up point. Employee will also work in the assigned crew
3. In order to drive a Cal Van, Employees must possess valid drivers’ license (state issued) and must be able to pass Class B Physical exam and register as an FLCE driver.
4. Employer will provide 2 CalVan vehicles.
5. All employees in this position (H-2A as well as corresponding domestic workers), will be given the opportunity to obtain a driver’s license (DL) and register as an FLCE driver on a voluntary basis. The DL and FLCE Certificate are not a pre-hire job requirement. No job applicant will be denied an employment opportunity due to a lack of a DL or FLCE Certificate at the time of application and/or hiring. Further, no worker (H-2A or corresponding domestic worker) will be terminated for failure to obtain a DL or FLCE Certificate.

The employer will cover costs associated with the workers obtaining an FLCE certificate and the type of driver’s license if required. Additionally, the employer assures that drivers will be compensated for their transportation-related time, actual driving time, processing CalVans paperwork, trips to the gas station and cleaning the vehicle.

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.