Farm Worker Labor

Job duties

Original text, as filed with the Department of Labor.

The employer will furnish, without charge, all tools, supplies, and equipment required in the performance of the specified work. Workers will be charged for any willful damage or loss of such tools and equipment.

Greenhouse:
Workers may seed plant trays.
Workers may clean and wash plant trays.
Workers may apply water and fertilizers to plants in trays.
Workers may clip and mow plants.
Workers may load plant trays onto trucks and wagons.
Setting Tobacco:
Workers may ride setting machine to plant tobacco.
Workers may plant by hand.
Workers may load plant trays onto equipment for setting.
Workers may stack and remove trays from fields.
Workers may prepare fields for planting.
Workers may reset missing plants by hand.
Top/Oil Tobacco.
Workers may pull suckers from plants.
Workers may break tops & bad leaves from plants.
Workers may apply oils to tops of plants.
Workers may care for seed plants before, during and at harvest time for seeds.
Workers may collect seeds from tops of plants and prepare for cleaning and storage.
Cutting Tobacco:
Workers will cut ripe plants off at the ground using tobacco knife and spear stalk over metal spear on to a wooden stick (stick is 48? long, one end is stuck in the ground and metal spear is placed on other end).
Workers will drop sticks in standing tobacco, before cutting, by hand or by machine.
Workers will transfer loaded sticks from ground to wagon or trailer in an orderly fashion. Industry standard is six (6) plants per stick. (Stick and plants may weigh up to 80 pounds)
Housing Tobacco:
Workers will transfer loaded stick from wagon or trailer to other workers standing on rails in the tobacco barn. Workers standing on rails will either hang sticks between rails and separate plants or transfer to another worker standing on the rails above them (rails may be 48? apart and from 6 feet to 40 feet above ground).
Stripping Tobacco:
Workers may place wood & sawdust in barns for curing process.
Workers will remove tobacco from rails in the barn and transport tobacco to stripping room.
Workers will pull leaves from plant stalks by hand and place in bailing machine.
Workers will operate bailing machine and may be asked to separate leaves into two (2) or more quality grades of tobacco prior to bailing.
Diversified Crops: hemp,
Workers may fill planters with seed from bags, by hand.
Workers may use equipment to plant seeds.
Workers may load and unload seed bags from trucks.
Workers may transport harvested crops for storage.
Workers may clean and prepare equipment and tools.
Workers may prepare fields for next crop.
Workers may pick up bales from fields and place on trucks, wagons for shipping.
Workers may clean and prepare fields for next crop season.
Other Related Duties:
Workers may chop weeds from between plants with a hoe.
Workers may remove tops and suckers from plants and apply side dressing.

Requirements

Alternative Work:
This could include workers preparing barns, preparing land for planting, draining fields, maintenance of tools and equipment, and other work that is directly related to growing tobacco or crop and activities for which the worker was hired. Such work will be offered when climate or crop conditions preclude working in the primary activities stated above. Alternative work may only be required if the first week wage guarantee listed in 20 CFR 653.501 is invoked.
Workers will begin at an assigned time, 7:00 am and continue until 4:00 p.m. Monday /Fri. 7;00-12:00 on Sat. If work is available beyond normal workdays the employer may offer, but not require, the worker the opportunity to work additional hours. Workers are not required to work the Sabbath Day or Federal Holidays. Worker may be required to work in the fields when leaves are wet with dew or rain and should have suitable clothing for conditions including light rain and temperatures ranging from 60 to more than 100.

Benefits and conditions