Farmworkers & Laborers & Agricultural Equipment Operator

Job duties

Original text, as filed with the Department of Labor.

All applicants must be able, willing and qualified to perform the work described in the job order and must be available for the entire period of employment specified in Section A.3 & A.4. This work order is for willing, able, and qualified individuals to perform a variety of manual agricultural tasks related to the planting, cultivation, irrigation, fertilization, harvesting, sorting, and packing of fruits and vegetables. This is a general farm worker position that combines crop production, harvesting, packing, and farm maintenance duties. Workers will prepare soil; plant and transplant crops; irrigate, fertilize, weed, mulch, thin, prune, and cultivate crops; apply and remove row covers; and harvest fruits and vegetables according to size, shape, color, quality, and degree of maturity. Harvested products will be sorted, cleaned, weighed, labeled, packed, loaded, and stacked for storage or sale according to employer specifications and quality standards. Workers may participate in irrigation activities, construct trellises, repair fences and farm buildings, and assist with the maintenance and repair of farm equipment, and other farm structures. Workers must use care in performing all duties to prevent damage to crops and harvested products. Workers must be able to operate agricultural equipment safely and may use hand tools, including but not limited to shovels, trowels, hoes, tampers, pruning hooks, pruning shears, and knives. Workers are expected to report to work wearing suitable clothing and will perform duties outdoors in varying weather conditions, including extreme heat, cold, dust, dirt, and inclement weather. Workers may be asked to operate trucks or other multi-purpose vehicles to transport workers from housing (whether on or off farm) to the farm properties; haul tools, supplies, or crops; transport workers from place to place around the farm properties during the workday (including on public roads to reach farmer's fields); and/or transport workers to the grocery store, bank, or laundry facilities on an as needed basis. Workers that are requested to drive will be required to possess a valid driver’s license. Workers who do drive will still perform the same field work and other duties as non-driving workers; driving is not a primary duty. The assigned duties are physically demanding and require prolonged walking, bending, stooping, and kneeling. Workers must be able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds on a frequent basis. Workers are required to work 7-hour shifts within the hours of 7:00am to 7:00pm from Monday through Friday and may be required to work 5-hour shifts within the hours of 7:00am to 7:00pm on Saturdays. This schedule totals 40 hours per week. The 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. range accounts for varying farm conditions (e.g., weather or crop readiness) to ensure that workers are able to complete the required weekly hours. Workers will not be scheduled to work a full 12-hour shift. Beyond the standard schedule hours, workers may offer to work additional hours which is subject to mutual agreement between the workers and management. Workers will be provided with a 60-minute lunch break, staggered between 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., as determined by both the workers and management. Workers may choose where to eat their lunch and must return to work after the 60-minute break. The daily and weekly work schedules may vary due to weather, sunlight, temperature, crop conditions, or other factors. The employer will notify workers of any changes to the schedule. The employer will provide one day of training and two days of work to demonstrate satisfactory performance of the duties described in this job description. The employer will provide, at no cost to the workers, all tools and equipment required to perform the assigned duties. Workers must be able to listen to, understand, and follow simple instructions from field leaders and supervisors to ensure that all work meets the employer's quality standards,

Requirements

The employer may terminate the employment of any worker who is unqualified for the position, fails to perform assigned duties in a satisfactory manner after instruction and reasonable opportunity to improve, violates employer work rules (which are provided to workers prior to the commencement of work), or for any other lawful business reason. A valid driver's license is required, as the position involves driving company vehicles or traveling between sites.
All terms and conditions of this job order will apply equally to all workers, including both U.S. and H-2A workers, employed under this clearance order.

Benefits and conditions