Farmworker/laborer

Job description

FARM LABORER:
Pruning/Thinning Worker will be required to prune numerous varieties of grape vines according to established company procedures based on the difference in the treatment of different varieties.

Suckering: Worker will remove shoots from the trunk of the vine, generally below the tie wire, according to supervisor instructions

Tucking: Worker will position shoots in an upward or downward position within the trellis wires. Wires may need to be manually moved during this process.

Lateral removal: Worker will remove the side, lateral shoots growing between the leaf petiole and the main shoot.

Leaf removal: Worker will remove leaves from around the fruit zone.

Disbudding: Worker will remove small shoots from canes.

Fruit thinning: Worker will remove excessive fruit from the shoot.

Canopy Management: Worker will perform vineyard canopy management to permit light and air to circulate around grapevines, including thinning fruit and removing shoots, leaves and vines. Worker will select and remove clusters as needed, as directed by supervisor. Worker may be required to hedge upper canopy by hand.

Hand Planting/Establishing Vineyard: Worker will plant vineyards and trees. These tasks will include repetitive and physically demanding shovel work and use of post-hole digger to install posts. Worker will provide general labor to assist in the establishment of new vineyard properties by clearing and/or preparing property, trellis construction activities, planting vines and other activities related to new vineyard establishment.
Vine re-planting: Worker will be required to dig out dead vine with a shovel and/or in conjunction with a tractor and auger and place a new vine in the hole, replacing the soil (with the graft 2 inches above the soil line) and gently tamp down around the new vine. Worker will then install a vine stave, tie the stave to the tie wire and tie the vine to the stave then place a grow tube around the new vine. This may be done in conjunction with use of an RTV.

Vine layering: Worker tasks include dead vine removal with a shovel and/or in conjunction with a tractor and auger. Worker will use a cane that is growing from the base of the neighboring vine. Worker will cut a small v in the new cane, as directed by manager, and apply rooting hormone to the cut area. Worker will then dig out a trench/hole where the cane from the neighboring plant will be placed. Worker will replace the soil and gently tamp down. Worker will install stave and tie to the tie wire of the trellis. Worker will tie the new buried cane to the stave. Worker may place grow tubes as directed by manager.

Worker will assist in grape sorting and stem removal of grape clusters prior to grape crushing/pressing.

RTV/Tractor/Loader operation for various vineyard tasks Some workers may be required to operate equipment such as a tractor, loader or rough terrain vehicle (RTV) for various vineyard tasks. Employers will provide additional training for this task.

Vehicle Driving: If worker is eligible to drive under Michigan law and provides proof of no infractions from official source, Employer may require worker to drive to and from the worksite and to other locations within 40 miles as directed. To be eligible for driving job, worker must understand and agree to driving rules, as outlined in work rules below.

SEE ADDENDUM C FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Special Requirements

Experience Requirement: 4 verifiable months of commercial agriculture experience in fruit or vegetables required. Applicants must furnish job references from recent employers within the last 5 years establishing acceptable prior experience.

Season Commitment: Job offered requires worker be available for and worker agrees to work every day that work is available for entire employment period.

Worker must be able to perform job description duties in safe manner consistent with established safety procedures.

Grape hand harvest: Worker must work at a pace consistent with amount, quality and efficiency of 0.78 ton of clean (no leaves, no damaged or rotted clusters) hand harvested grapes per 8-hour work day.

Drug testing not utilized as pre-employment tool. See work rules for more information regarding post-employment drug testing.