Nursery Workers

Job description

Crops/Commodities:
nursery stock.
Plants, cultivates and maintains in condition for shipping and resale to customers ornamental shrubs, trees. Pots seedlings, prunes, transplants, spaces, irrigates and culls plants to ensure availability of marketable products. Packs, labels, pulls and stores plants according to variety. Uncover and/or recover winter storage houses. Weeds, mows, loads/unloads truck and wagons. May operate tractors and other mechanical equipment under supervision. Performs any other duties involved in the maintenance of plant materials and nursery stock and maintenance of holding yards and shipping areas.
Perform diversified activities in container/field nursery operation. Jobs may include any combination of the following tasks associated with production of horticultural specialty crops: operate and clean irrigation systems; sort, tag, move, repot, fertilize plants; load trucks; mix and apply pesticides with supervision; operate equipment.
Work is to be done in the field for long periods of time. Workers are expected to perform duties including boxing, weighing and loading of product. Workers will assist in loading trucks with product weighing up to and including 60 pounds and lifting to a height of 5 feet for long periods of time. Workers should be able to work on their feet in bent positions for long periods of time. Work requires repetitive movements and extensive walking. Allergies to ragweed, goldenrod, insect spray, related chemicals, etc. may affect workers’ ability to perform the job. Workers are exposed to wet weather early in the morning through the heat of the day, working in fields. Temperatures may range from 10 to 100 F. Workers may be required to work during occasional showers not severe enough to stop field operations.
Work may also include mechanized field work using power equipment. By way of example and not limitation power equipment may include tractors, planters, sprayers, cultivators and other equipment. Workers will be expected to be able to operate agricultural equipment with or without direction. Persons seeking employment in this position must be available for the entire period requested by the employer.
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. Workers will have an unpaid lunch break. 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.

TERMINATION. All workers will be subject to a five-day trial 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 trial 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 five day trial period, to perform work in a competent and skillful manner, consistent with the employer's reasonable expectations. Non-U.S. workers may be displaced as a result of one or more U.S. workers becoming available for the job during the employer’s recruitment period. Job abandonment will be deemed to occur after five consecutive workdays of unexcused absences. Workers may not report for work under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Possession or use of illegal drugs or alcohol on company premises is prohibited and will be cause for immediate termination.

Special Requirements

This job requires a minimum of three months of prior experience working on a nursery handling both manual and machine tasks associated with nursery production. Applicants must be able to furnish verbal or written statement establishing relevant prior work experience. Workers must be able to perform manual as well as mechanized activities with accuracy and efficiency. Saturday work required. Must be able to lift/carry 60 lbs.