FARMWORKERS AND LABORERS, X45, Wapato This is a job order for field work and labor for growing hops and maintaining a hop farm and certain job duties during hop harvest as well as growing, maintaining, and harvesting Christmas trees, growing corn, nursery plants and hazelnuts. This job opportunity is limited to qualified, available workers that are currently eligible to work in the United States, per federal regulation. Crops/Commodities: Hops, Christmas trees, corn, hazelnuts, grapes, and pears Job Duties: Twining/Stringing Hops: Attaching string (twine) between trellis and the ground. Driving the stringing cart (tractor) while other workers tie twine. Workers may ride on farm implement cart, approximately 18 feet above the ground, hand tying twine to trellis. Use tool to place metal clip in the ground. Affixing string to ground. Workers will fill water tank with hop twine to make twine damp. Workers will fix any strings that come loose or need repair. Training hops - as the hops grow, wrap any bine that has not grabbed on to the twine. Hop bines are delicate and care must be taken when performing this task. Weed hop fields. Planting hop roots or hop plants in pots in new hop yards. Assist in drip irrigation duties. Roll out and/or roll up drip hose to hop plants in rows. Repair and maintain drip hose and check for leaks and breakage. Flush drip irrigation lines. Spread drip irrigation lines and tubes. Hop trellis work - Build and repair hop trellis. Dig and repair ground. Place new poles or remove broken or damaged poles. Ensure all poles are vertically straight. Stretch cable and wire and attach clamps. Pick up downed hop bines - when strong winds come along and blow mature hop plants off the bine, get the hops back up the trellis. Workers may also: 1.Operate or maintain equipment used in agricultural production and field preparation such as tractors, irrigation equipment, 4-wheelers, trucks, and other commonly used equipment in agriculture. 2. Operate tractors to mow, weed spray and trailers in the fields. 3. Load and mix chemicals in addition to operating tractors pulling air blast sprayers. 4. Install monitor, maintain and repair the irrigation system for a specified area of the fields. 5. Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers. The Employer attests that workers who are applicators or handlers, including those who work on equipment that may have pesticide residue or contamination will be properly trained by their supervisor, who has a valid Private Applicators license which is the standard pursuant to Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). Furthermore, their supervisor will be available to ensure that these workers understand all chemical label, safety instructions, and application instructions pursuant to WSDA. 2.All other individuals who meet the guidelines as farmworkers and hand laborers will receive appropriate EPA Worker Protection Training, as defined by the WSDA and the EPA, at least once every 12 months according to regulation 6. May operate, maintain and repair tractors, farm machinery and hop picker in harvest facility. 7. Workers may also clear debris and garbage from fields and clean/maintain farm buildings, structures, equipment, and work areas. 8. Assist with farm building/field maintenance and repairs. 9. Workers may also drive vehicles to transport farm workers, produce and equipment. Licensed drivers may drive vehicles to haul crops, supplies, tools. Hop harvest is a physically demanding job. Hop bines can scratch and irritate skin. Workers will need to dress in long sleeve shirts and pants and wear gloves and eye protection. Hop harvest, from approximately August 25 - October 7, is a 24/7 operation. The employer runs at least two shifts that may run 10-12 hours and workers may be asked to work on a either a day or night shift. Hop harvest job descriptions are as follows: Hop harvester mechanic- Must observe picking machine and make sure it is running properly. Must keep track of all tools used and make sure machine is off when performing maintenance on any part of the machine. Worker must make sure all parts are lubricated and running properly. Hop Truck/Tractor Driver: Job consists of driving the hop truck with trailer into the field. The trailer is loaded with hop bines and then returns to the harvest facility to drop off load. Telehandler Operator: Job consists of the worker using telehandler to load hops into the machine ensuring the machine stays loaded doesn’t get jammed and is running at capacity at all times. Assist machine mechanics in general maintenance and upkeep as directed. Bine Pick-Up: Walk rows after they have been harvested to pick up fallen hop bines that did not make it into hop trailers. Pile bines in field and place in trailers. Top Cutter: Worker drives the tractor cutting the top of the hop bines from the trellis in the field. May at times be required to hand cut hop bines from the field. Bottom Cutter: Worker drives the tractor cutting the bottom of the hop bines in the field. May at times be required to hand cut hop bines from the field. Sweeper: Will use long broom to sweep fallen hops to bottom conveyor. Must keep processing area clean at all times. Stick Pickers- Workers will pick sticks and sort out of hops on conveyors. Hop Kiln/Dryer Help- Will make sure the hop floors are laid correctly. Employee must work for long periods in extreme temperatures. Must communicate with the kiln operator and stick pickers. Must take moisture samples from each floor before taking the floors off. Operate conveyors to take the hops off the kiln floor once dried. Baling Hops: Workers must make sure baling machine is operating a capacity and correctly at all times. Must move hop bales with assistance from other workers and hand cart. Workers will observe and prep the balers as needed. Will sew bales closed with a sewing machine and may hand stitch bales if needed. Balers will keep records of numbers of bales and weights and temperature of each. Workers will mark each bale with lot and variety. Hyster Operator-Operator will communicate with the balers to move hop bales. Workers will be required to maintain, inspect and clean hyster after each shift. Hops are a very caustic plant. Those with allergies should use caution and wear the appropriate clothing for work in hop fields. Christmas Tree Job Duties: Workers will drive tractor, weed tree fields and spray chemicals to keep trees healthy. Planting Christmas Tree Seedlings- Workers will dig holes and place seedlings in the hole and spread the roots carefully and gently. Workers should avoid twisting or screwing the seedling into the hole. Seedlings roots and the hole should be covered with soil and watered after planting. Shearing Christmas Trees- Shearing is done to regulate and direct the growth of the tree. Workers will be shown how to correctly perform this task. Grape Job Duties: Workers will prune grape vines during the growing season. Responsibilities also include moving sprinklers and irrigation equipment in vineyards. Workers will drive tractors and operate harvest equipment and sort leaves and debris from conveyor during grape harvest. Hazelnut Orchard duties: Responsible for maintaining drip and sprinkler irrigation and tending hazelnut trees. Row Crop -Corn Maintain pivot irrigation. Assist in growing and maintaining corn crop. Greenhouse Nursery Duties: Workers will be responsible for the irrigation and maintenance of hop and bedding plants in a greenhouse. Pears: Will assist in irrigation, orchard duties and pear harvest. JOB REQUIREMENTS - Must have at least three (3) months of experience
- Must be able to work through extreme temperatures.
- Must be able to push/pull and stoop/bend repeatedly.
- Saturday work required.
- Ability to lift/carry 60 lbs.
HOURS/DAYS/SCHEDULE Contract period is February 16, 2024 to October 20, 2024 7 hours per day, Monday through Friday 5 hours Saturdays SALARY/WAGE/BENEFITS Wage offer $17.97/hour No work will be performed at less than the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) of $17.97 AEWR The payroll period is weekly. Beginning Jan. 1, 2024: Overtime will apply at 1.5 times the regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 hours in a workweek. Piece Rates Pears, Harvest – Picking $17.97/hour- Pear Harvest will be paid the hourly AEWR. HOUSING Employer agrees to provide or secure housing for the H-2A workers and those workers in corresponding employment who are not reasonably able to return to their residence at the end of the work day. That housing complies with the applicable local, State, and/or Federal standards and is sufficient to house the specified number of workers. The employer will assign housing accommodations. TRANSPORTATION The employer will provide passenger vans that are employer owned and operated for daily transportation for all eligible workers, including those not in living in employer provided housing. All vehicles will be covered under the employer's insurance policy and meet all state applicable laws. Workers will be apprised of the workday schedule and will be responsible for driving to the worksites or meeting the daily transportation each morning. There is no set transportation schedule as workdays vary due to weather and crop conditions. Workers will be apprised at the end of the workday when the transportation (suburban, vans or pickups) will be departing the worksite(s). Employer operated and/or provided vehicles are provided at no cost to the workers and comply with all applicable local, State and Federal law and regulations, as well as, at minimum, the same transportation safety standards, driver licensure, and vehicle insurance as required by law. There is no daily transportation schedule as workdays start and stop times subject to change daily depending on farm duties, weather, and crop conditions. Workers will be apprised of the workday schedule and will be responsible for driving to the worksites or meeting the daily transportation each morning either at employer provided housing and, if applicable, central pick-up points to the places of employment. Due to the nature of farming operations, the employers’ vehicles, number of vehicles, and seating capacities in use may change regularly, but in general, will always be 1 or more and will consist of vehicles such as pickups, cars, vans, or farm machinery. Pickups, cars may seat up to 3-4 individuals, vans may seat between 8-15 individuals, and farm machinery seats no more than 2 individuals. The type of vehicle used may be subject to change due to operational necessities (e.g. mechanical failure requiring vehicle replacement)
MEALS The employer will furnish cooking facilities, utilities and utensils at no cost to workers occupying employer provided housing. Workers will purchase their own food and prepare meals. The employer will provide free transportation at least once a week for groceries, supplies, and/or banking services to workers living in employer provided housing. In the event kitchen facilities become unavailable during the contract period, employer will provide three daily meals in accordance with 20 CFR 655.122(g). In such circumstances, employer will deduct the cost of such meals up to the maximum allowable amount published in the Federal Register. THREE-FOURTHS Employer agrees to offer the worker employment for a total number of work hours equal to at least three fourths of the workdays of the total period beginning with the first workday after the arrival of the worker at the place of employment or the advertised contractual first date of need, whichever is later, and ending on the expiration date specified in the work contract or in its extensions, if any. TOOLS Employer agrees to provide to the worker, without charge or deposit charge, all tools, supplies, and equipment required to perform the duties assigned. CLOSING DATE/DEADLINE Employer will accept referrals until June 19, 2024 HOW TO APPLY/REQUEST A REFERRAL This employer has asked WorkSource to refer only fully qualified applicants for this job. If you would like to request a referral, please contact any WorkSource office for detailed instructions on how to apply. Job ID: 267011951 WorkSource is an equal opportunity employer and provider of employment and training services. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to persons with disabilities. Washington Relay Services: 711 In view of the statutorily established basic function of the ES as a no-fee labor exchange, that is, as a forum for bringing together employers and job seekers, neither the ETA nor the SWAs are guarantors of the accuracy or truthfulness of information contained on job orders submitted by employers. Nor does any job order accepted or recruited upon by the ES constitute a contractual job offer to which the ETA or a SWA is in any way a party. Staff Special Instructions Please link to access the side by side checklist, Workers' rights trifold and a copy of the complete job order for inspection. |