Farmworkers And Laborers, Crop

Job description

Workers will perform assigned duties as described in this clearance order,
Sweet Potato Harvesting: Workers will hand-harvest sweet potatoes from the ground after they have been mechanically dug. Workers must sort the sweet potatoes by size and class as they pick them, focusing on three distinct classes harvested simultaneously. These classes include Number 1s, which are large and well-shaped potatoes; Canners, which are medium to small, broken, cracked, or misshapen potatoes; and Seed, which are small potatoes used for future planting. The harvesting process requires the worker to first walk the row to select and place Number 1 sweet potatoes into a five-gallon bucket. Once the bucket is full, the worker will carry it to the designated field truck and empty the sweet potatoes into the back. A small ticket will be given to the worker to keep for tracking daily totals at the end of each day. The worker will then return to the same picking area to repeat this exact process for the Canner sweet potatoes, and finally return once more to collect the Seed sweet potatoes.
Hauling and Transport: For hauling and transport duties, workers may use basic farm equipment and vehicles to transport the harvested crops from the fields directly to the warehouse. This warehouse is located on-site, inside the fields, and all hauling is strictly limited to on-farm transport with no driving required on public roads.
General Maintenance: Workers on physical work restrictions or when harvesting work is not available may be required to perform miscellaneous clean-up work on work site property, on structures utilized in the work site operation, and on housing for harvesting workers. Such clean-up activities include the sprouting, pruning, and painting of trees; debris, weed, and vine removal; irrigation repair; and housing and structure cleaning and repair.
Workers must be able to perform strenuous manual labor outdoors in all weather conditions, including heat, cold, and rain, up to the total daily hours offered. The position requires physical strength and endurance to bend, stoop, and stand for extended periods, as well as manual dexterity to repetitively use hands at a sustained pace to meet production standards. The employer will provide all necessary tools and equipment at no charge to the worker. Consistent with applicable law, the employer may recover the reasonable cost of repair or replacement of tools if damage results from the worker’s willful misconduct or gross negligence after the damage has occurred and after gaining the employee's written authorization to make the deduction. At its sole discretion, the employer may pay a higher wage rate based on individual performance or tenure, which does not alter the entry-level requirements of this position.

When production needs require, the employer may offer hours in excess of the daily or weekly schedule stated in the ETA-790, there is a possibility that available work hours will be in excess of 20% of the hours offered but they are not guaranteed. These additional hours are strictly voluntary and not guaranteed; no worker is required to work beyond the contracted hours, on federal holidays, or on their Sabbath, and no worker will be penalized for declining such work. Due to the nature of agriculture, workers should expect occasional periods of little or no work due to weather, crop maturity, or other conditions beyond the employer's control. These periods may occur at any time throughout the season. In the event of a worker-requested leave of absence during periods of available work, all missed hours will be deducted from the actual hours worked but will be credited as "hours offered" toward the fulfillment of the three-quarter guarantee. Workers are responsible for providing their own suitable work clothing.

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.