Laborer

Qué va a hacer

Texto original en inglés, tal como se registró en el Departamento de Trabajo.

The farm work position includes duties associated with the planting, cultivation, harvesting of Christmas Trees. This work can require standing, walking, stooping, bending, and lifting up to 50 pounds for long periods of time outdoors in all weather conditions. This work requires adherence to important food safety and quality standard operating procedures and the ability to work quickly and consistently alongside fellow workers with a positive, professional, team based attitude and a consideration for the safety and health of fellow workers and of the consumers who will purchase and consume the crops grown, harvested, packed, and shipped from the farm.
Workers may perform the following job duties on any of the commodities listed above and various points during the duration of the contract.

Tree Pruning
While pruning trees, workers will receive proper tools for the particular job, i.e. saw, pruners, chain saws, loppers and hand snips. These tools will be returned to the employer at the end of the task. The cost of tools destroyed maliciously or lost carelessly will be deducted from worker's wages. Workers will be assigned rows of trees and must prune each tree according to the size of the tree and the need for the pruning. Workers must take care not to damage limbs that are not being pruned. Workers must prune trees according to the above referenced requirements. In some instances, pruning will be done from a 16-foot ladder weighing up to 30 lbs. All workers must be able to lift and carry ladder, as well as work from the top of the ladder. Workers must remove all resulting materials from the tree rendered from performing pruning tasks. When pruning is complete on each tree, each worker is required to rake and scatter the resulting brush in the center of the tractor/equipment middles.

When pruning just about just about any tree, including apple trees, you always want to prune out suckers, stubs or broken branches, downward growing branches, rubbing or crisscrossing branches, upward growing interior branches, competing leaders, narrow crotches and wholrs.

Tree Thinning
Workers will start with one branch and work systematically around the tree, leaving the largest and healthiest fruit (looking for fruit that is poorly developed, insect damaged, or with scabs, and scars). For clusters, select the smallest least healthy fruit and thin to one or two fruits. Clusters growing under the branch remove, as these will not get the sunlight and airflow required for developing a quality fruit.

While thinning trees, workers will be instructed as to how close together fruit should be spaced and what fruit is most desirable to leave or take. The supervisor will set a standard or pattern for each orchard as shown above based on crop and weather conditions and will demonstrate and communicate this to workers. In some instances, thinning will be done from a sixteen-foot ladder weighing up to 30 lbs. All workers must be able to lift and carry ladder, as well as work from the top of the ladder. Rows will be assigned to each worker, and it is the responsibility of the worker to complete the trees on the row according to the supervisor’s instructions. Limbs must not be torn from the tree, nor should limbs be completely stripped of leaves, blooms or fruit. Proper spacing and selection of fruit is critical to maximizing the trees’ potential yield. Thinners will thin fruit using hands to remove excess fruit taking care to walk around entire tree before moving to the next. Workers will be required to pick up and return thinning ladders to the ladder wagon provided by the grower at the end of each workday or as directed by the grower or designated supervisor.

Requisitos

Beneficios y condiciones