Vineyard Worker

Job description

Vineyard Worker to perform the following duties:

Canopy, fruit thinning, leafing, harvesting, tractor driving, clean-up, hoeing, installing wire, suckering, and other related viticulture operations. Workers need to be able to stoop, bend, and work in cold and wet conditions and be able to use tools such as pruning shears, grape knives, hand saws, weed eaters, hedgers, shovels. 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. Temperatures can range from 20 degrees F to over 100 degrees F during the period of employment. Workers should come prepared with appropriate clothing and footwear for the work and working conditions described.

This work may entail exposure to plant pollens, insects and noxious plants, and to fields and plant materials which have been treated with insect and/or disease control sprays. The employer will comply with all worker protection standards and re-entry restrictions applicable to pesticides and other chemicals used in the fields. Workers are also required to comply with all applicable worker\protection standards and re-entry times. Workers must listen to, understand and follow instructions of company supervisors and managers

The employer specifies that the workers will be using a long-handled hoe (longer than 4 feet) for all weeding activities. There will not be any hand weeding.

The workers will be hand thinning the grape vines by removing leaves. This work consists of removing ~5 leaves from individual grape vines. A hoe cannot be used for this because the leaves are above ground attached to the vine. The workers conduct the removal while both squatting and standing, but not on their knees.

WINE GRAPE HARVEST WORKER: 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

Leaf removal via hand thinning is essential for Grape Harvest: as it improves vine air circulation, exposes the fruit to more sunlight, and improves the overall quality of the grapes.

Title 8, Section 3456 states 'nothing in this subsection shall be construed as prohibiting occasional or intermittent hand weeding, hand thinning, or hand hot-capping in a stooped, squatting, or kneeling position that is incidental to a non hand-weeding operation. For purposes of this subsection, occasional or intermittent means an employee is devoting 20% or less of his or her weekly work time to hand weeding, hand thinning, and hot capping'. The employer hereby confirms that the amount of time spent hand thinning is intermittent and significantly less than 20% of the workers scheduled hours.

The workers are provided gloves and training at no cost. Specifically, they are given time each day to warm up, and are given trainings regarding avoiding work-related injuries on a regular basis. The workers are not provided knee pads because the workers will not be kneeling for any of the job duties.

CA Tax ID #: 055-4419-2

Special Requirements

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. Safety use and training provided by employer. Workers must abide by Employer housing rules. Proficiency 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.)