Long Season Field Crop Workers

Job description

A. Field Crop Worker

Work with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, endive, carrots, hay, hops, row and field crops, mint, grain and seed products. Perform planting, bloom picking, runner setting, watering, weeding, planting-growing-trimming strawberry runner tips, and pest control. Work in support role for trim operations during harvest. Install and maintain irrigation systems, apply and remove plastic covers to fields, clear fields of debris, and lift up to 50 pounds. Workers may operate buses to transport workers, tractors and equipment to apply fertilizer, chemicals and harvest crops. Works as a member of a crew, or individually performing moderately complex tasks that require limited judgment. Use standard tools such as rakes, long handled hoes in conventional crops and short handled hoe in organic crops, and shovels. Workers may perform duties associated with and directly related to field work including but not limited to packing plants, closing/stacking boxes in and around the field and trim sheds, distributing plants, and clean-up functions in and around the field and trim shed. When working in California, Employer complies with the California health and safety rules applicable to short-handled hoes.

Bus Driving – Only drivers who possess valid driver’s licenses pursuant to California law will participate in driving. Drivers will transport the workers to and between the work site locations on work days and return the workers to the housing facilities when the work day is finished. Driving is not a separate job from the field crop worker position and workers engaged in driving activities also work as field crop workers. 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). The DL is not a pre-hire job requirement. No job applicant will be denied an employment opportunity due to a lack of a DL 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. The employer will be responsible for the cost of the California Driver’s License, California Special Driver Certificate, and Medical Examiner’s Certificates (if any/if applicable).
B. Strawberry Regular, Green and Raspberry Plant Trimming: Trim Shed Nursery

Worker will sort, trim and bundle strawberry plants in trimming shed or container plant nursery to prepare plants for packing and shipment and will be paid on a piecework basis. Worker also may be assigned to fill a support role for trim operations during harvest. In a support role, workers will perform duties associated with and directly related to trimming, including but not limited to packing plants, closing/stacking boxes in and around the trim shed, distributing plants, and clean-up functions in and around the trim shed and will be paid on an hourly basis. (See Item 17).

Workers may trim a small amount of raspberry rootstock which consists of separating, sorting and cutting roots and canes and will be paid on a team piecework basis. Work production and quality will be monitored and reviewed for accuracy by the Supervisor.

Special Requirements

Must have 1 month experience working with strawberry nursery plants within the previous two years. The name and address or telephone number of the reference who can verify the worker's experience and performance will be required at the time of interview and written confirmation of experience in the form of a letter. No smoking allowed in the fields or dormitories, cannot be color blind due to the need to distinguish colors of crops, able to use shears and other agricultural tools, conditions of housing include no smoking, illegal drugs, alcohol, or weapons of any sort in the dormitories.