Citrus Harvesters

Job description

Workers will perform assigned duties as instructed by their supervisor. Duties may vary from time to time. Following the Supervisors instructions, the worker will place a picking sack over their shoulder and carry a 18' to 20' ladder from the field truck to the particular area of the grove to be harvested. The picking sack is a canvas bag equipped with a shoulder strap for support, an opening for the insertion of fruit, and an opening to remove fruit. A fully loaded sack weighs between approximately 80 and 100 pounds, depending upon the size, condition and variety of fruit. Worker positions ladder against the tree and within reach of the fruit in a leaning position, taking care not to break limbs, damage the tree, knock off fruit, or interfere with other workers, in a secure position to prevent slipping or falling and possible injury to themselves or other workers. Worker will remove fruit from the tree and place into pick sack. When pick sack is full take full sack to fruit tub located in the grove and drop fruit from pick sack into tub until the tub is filled to capacity. In order to perform this kind of work, worker must be able to work outside for at least 6 hours a day in all kinds of weather and be in possession of the requisite physical strength and endurance to repeat the picking process rapidly, working quickly and skillfully with their hands, and carrying a large number of sacks of fruit from the area in which the fruit is being harvested to the location of the tub. After harvesting is complete at each grove, workers will help clean all equipment, including but not limited to, fruit tubs, and any harvesting equipment from all leaves, limbs and debris. Workers will then load ladders back into ladder truck.

General Clean-up of Grove Property and Housing for Harvesting Workers: Workers on physical work restrictions or when harvesting work is not available may be required to perform miscellaneous clean-up work on grove property, on structures utilized in the grove operation, and on housing for harvesting workers. Such clean-up activities include the sprouting, pruning, and painting of trees; debris, weed, and vine removal; irrigation repair and replacement; housing and structure cleaning and repair; and general grove clean-up as required. Additional alternate work may include planting young trees, pruning trees, painting trees, pulling weeds, cleaning weeds, packing fruit, and other duties as needed. Workers may need to assist in the use of farm equipment such as tractors, trucks and harvesting machinery, etc. Workers will be paid the highest of the adverse effect wage rate, the prevailing wage rate, or the applicable minimum wage rate for time spent performing such clean-up work.

The employer will provide the tools necessary to perform the described job duties without charge to the worker. The employer will charge the worker for reasonable costs related to the workers refusal or negligent failure to return the tools or due to such workers willful damage or destruction of the tools. The employer will provide the first pick sack free of charge to the worker. Any sacks destroyed intentionally, outside normal wear and tear, must be replaced by the worker.

Special Requirements

None