Citrus Workers

Job description

H-2A and corresponding domestic workers must be available to perform each of the following job activities in connection with the harvesting and farming operations:

Citrus Worker, Tree Pruning, General Labor, Tractor Driver, Forklift Driver, Prepare freshly harvested crop for shipment, General Farm Labor / General Ranch Maintenance to perform the following duties:

Workers will be harvesting lemons, oranges, mandarins, and grapefruits. Under the direction of the field supervisor, the worker picks up a ladder using the arms and leans it against the citrus tree. The worker carries an empty sack around the neck and upper body to place the harvested product. The worker also holds a pair of clippers in his/her hand to clip fruit (there is no manual handling / pulling of the citrus fruit as this will severely damage the crop). Climbing up the ladder, the worker grabs the product, clips it and places it in the sack. Full sacks weigh between 50 and 80 lbs. Once the sack is full, the workers descend the ladder and walk for approximately 5-30 feet and dump the sack into a bin. The cycle is repeated until the end of the shift. Prepares freshly harvested crop for shipment.

Tree Pruning: Under the direction of the field supervisor, the worker goes into the field and is assigned their own line of trees to prune. They wear leather gloves, and also carry with them a pair pruning shears and a hand saw (can be powered by gas) and uses both to trim the unwanted branches or debris from the tree. As the worker advances from tree to tree, the large pieces falling off from the it are taken out and are placed to the side next to the irrigation lines, the rest is moved into the road. Cycle repeats until all the trees are cleaned. On a separate process workers using a rake like tool pile up the debris on the road and a machine passes through it to break it down. Cycle repeats. Lastly workers perform weeding of the field, using long hand held hoe.

Forklift Driver Specifications: The Forklift driver is responsible for inspecting the forklift. Forklift drivers use knobs and levers to operate the forklift. Duties include the transferring and stacking of bins full of product onto the trailer. The employee works in an area that consists of 300 ft. in radius. Cycle is repeated.

Tractor Driver Specifications: The tractor driver is responsible for inspecting the tractor. Duties include getting in and out of the fields. The tractor driver takes empty bins, goes into the lot and sets them throughout the lot for workers to fill with product. The tractor driver gets in and out of the field as bins are set. Once workers fill up the bin, the tractor driver gets into the lot to take out the bins full of product. The tractor driver takes them out of the field and once out the field, a forklift transfers the product into the trailer. Cycle is repeated.

General Ranch Maintenance / General Farm Labor includes, but is not limited to, on the farm road maintenance and dust control to farm roadways by means of farm equipment.

Special Requirements

1-month of experience working with citrus trees/plants required. Written verification of experience is required. Workers must stand, sit, crouch, bend, reach, lift and carry items weighing up to 50-80 pounds in the course of performing required activities. Workers must be able to listen, understand, and follow instructions of company supervisors and managers.

The company's Employment Arbitration Agreement is set forth in this Clearance Order outlining the procedures to follow in raising concerns to seek their prompt resolution with an option to arbitrate unresolved matters. The employer assures that its Arbitration Agreement shall not preclude the workers from filing claims with the Americas Job Center of California offices (AJCCs) under the Employment Services Complaint System and the workers will not face retaliation.