Farmworkers/laborers

Job description

This is a job for: hand harvest of apples; pears; cherries, grapes and Bluerries; tree training; thinning and pruning by the worker.

There are general conditions of employment, general job specifications and individual requirements that are specific to each job duty:

CHERRY Harvest: The Worker will hand harvest cherries, this can be performed from a motorized platform and/or from the ground or a ladder. The Worker will attach harness, bucket or bag and pick low hanging fruit while standing or on a ladder. The Worker will pick according to grade, color and size by grasping fruit with the hands and removing from the tree in a motion so as not to harm adjacent buds on the tree branches. The Worker will carry harness, bucket or bag of up to 20 lbs. and will place fruit into plastic lugs which hold approximately 30 pounds of fruit. Care must be exercised at all times to prevent bruising of fruit or breaking of branches. Some Workers may be required to examine harvested fruit in plastic/wooden bins and sort out any fruit not meeting the grade, color and size specifications. The worker must possess the ability to pick-up, handle a 10 ft. or 12 ft. orchard ladder weighing up to 40 pounds.

APPLE/PEAR Harvest: The Worker will hand harvest apples/pears this can be performed from a motorized platform and/or from the ground or a ladder. The Worker will attach harness, bucket or bag and picks low hanging fruit while standing on the ground and higher branches while standing on a ladder. The Worker will pick according to grade, color and size by grasping fruit with the hands and removing from the tree in a motion so as not to harm adjacent buds on the tree branches. The Worker will carry harness, bucket or bag of up to 60 lbs. and will place fruit into plastic/wooden bins, 4x4x3 which hold approximately 25 bushels of fruit. Care must be exercised at all times to prevent bruising of fruit or breaking of branches. The Worker may be required to examine harvested fruit in bins and sort out any fruit not meeting the grade, color and size specifications. The Worker must possess the ability to pick and/or clip fruit from tree; handle a 10 ft. or 12 ft. orchard ladder weighing up to 40 pounds

BLUEBERRY Harvest: Worker will spend time bending and crouching while hand harvesting blueberries at locations indicated by supervisor. Care must be exercised at all times to prevent bruising of fruit or breaking of branches. Workers will pick blueberries from bushes and place the blueberries in buckets attached to the body. Worker will pick according to grade, color and size by grasping the berries with fingers and remove the berries so as to not harm the adjacent berries and buds, or bruise the picked berries. Worker will carry plastic buckets and will place berries into flats, trays or pack directly into clamshells. Plastic picking buckets will hold 6 pounds of blueberries. Worker may be required to carry 15 lbs flats to row ends.

PACKING BLUEBERRIES:

1. Pouring flats of blueberries and cherries into hoppers for sorting and packing lines. Visually grading and manually removing defective fruit and foreign objects from a moving conveyor belt.

2. Collecting and stacking graded fruit.

3. Working on a blueberry or cherry packing line, including, but not limited to, feeding plastic clamshells or plastic bags; quality control on labeler, printer and clamshell or bag closing mechanism; placing filled clamshells or bags in cartons; stacking cartons on pallet; preparing pallet for shipment.

4. Cleaning and sanitizing the facility and all equipment and fruit contact surfaces.

5. The Worker is expected to possess or acquire pruning skills in order to identify and remove stubs or broken branches, downward-growing branches, branches which rub against each other, shaded interior branches, dead wood and shoots/suckers with hand pruning saws and clippers, mechanized equipment in pruning activities.

Special Requirements

SEE ADDENDUM C
4e) Must be able to lift and/or load 60lbs.
4g) Work may take place when temperatures are below freezing and above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
4h) May require extensive pulling and/or pushing of tools, wheelbarrows, fruit containers, etc.
4i) May require worker to sit and/or walk for extensive periods of time while sorting, picking, examining, weeding, transporting, pruning, etc.
4j) Workers will be required to stoop and/or bend over while performing farm labor such as weeding, irrigating, pruning, picking, removing debris, etc.
4k) There will be repetitive movements while performing most of the farm labor duties, for example picking, sorting, pruning, shoveling, weeding, etc.