Farmworkers

Job description

Perform manual labor to prepare fields, plant, cultivate, and harvest soybeans, rice, and cotton by hand or machine. Operate, repair and maintain agricultural vehicles and equipment. Operate tractors, tractor-drawn machinery and self-propelled machinery to plow, harrow and fertilize soil, or to plant, cultivate and harvest crops. Use hand tools, such as shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, shears, and knives. Till soil, apply fertilizers, transplant, spray, weed, thin, and prune crops. Load grain into trucks. Dispose of spoiled grain and chop grass out of fields. Load cotton bales, pick up and load loose cotton, and hand chop and rogue cotton. May repair fences and farm buildings, or participate in irrigation activities including setting up and operating irrigation equipment and clearing and maintaining irrigation ditches. Ensure hoppers are filled properly. Maintain and repair levees. Install and remove levy gates and put in spillways. Walk fields to check on and maintain adequate water supply to crops from wells. Open drainage overfill pipes, and walk each field to check for standing water. Drain excess water from fields. Rogue rice fields during flood. Perform end of season draining of fields with shovels. Receive rice crop for drying and storage at grain drying facility. Dispose of spoiled grain from pit and elevator area. Repair and maintain farm vehicles, machinery and specialized machinery and agricultural equipment including grain augers associated with module packers and grain bins used for storing and transporting farm products. Clean agricultural equipment and machinery. Workers who have a valid driver's license and doctor's certificate may drive vehicles to transport workers and may be offered additional hours. Assist in Good Agricultural Practices policies. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, honey bees, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, or related chemicals may affect a worker’s ability to perform the job. Persons seeking employment in this position must be available for the entire period requested by the employer. Employer reserves the right to discharge an obviously unqualified worker, malingerer or recalcitrant worker who is physically able but is unwilling to perform the work necessary for the employer to grow a premium quality product, or for any other lawful reason.

Employer may request, but not require, workers to work more than the stated daily hours and/or on a worker’s Sabbath or federal holidays. Worker must report to work at designated time and place each day. Daily or weekly work schedule may vary due to weather, sunlight, temperature, crop conditions, and other factors. Employer will notify workers of any change to start time.

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 anytime throughout the season. Workers may be assigned a variety of duties in any given day and different tasks on different days.

TERMINATION. All workers will be subject to a two day introductory period, during which the employer will evaluate workers' performance of required tasks. Employer reserves the right to terminate a worker at the conclusion of the introductory period if the worker’s performance fails to satisfy the employer’s reasonable expectations, or is otherwise unacceptable. Employer may terminate a worker for lawful job-related reasons, including but not limited to situations in which the worker: (1) Is repeatedly absent or tardy; (2) malingers or otherwise refuses, without cause, to perform the work as directed; (3) commits act(s) of misconduct or repeatedly violates the Work Rules; and/or (4) fails, after completing the two day introductory period, to perform work in a competent and skillful manner, consistent with the employer's reasonable expectations.

Special Requirements

Work outside in extremely hot, cold or wet weather. Perform prolonged walking, bending, reaching, pushing, pulling, lifting and carrying of 50 lbs. Climb 6'-50' ft ladders on grain bins. Hazardous occupation.