FARM WORKERS/LABORERS, X28, Moxee, Wapato, Zillah This contract encompasses general farm labor and labor for the raising and harvest of hops, cherries, apples, pears and field crops. 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, cherries, apples, and pears. JOB DUTIES: HOP BINE HANGER/ BOTTOM FEEDER: Unloading hop trailers at a stationary picking machine. Hanging hop bines is physically demanding and requires the employee to grab, lift and place the ends of the hop bines on hooks that transfer the bines from the truck beds to the picking apparatus. Hop bines can scratch and irritate the skin. Workers will need to dress in long sleeved shirts and wear gloves and eye protection, all personal protective equipment (PPE). HOP TRUCK DRIVER: Job consists of driving the hop trucks in the field. The truck loaded with hop bines and then returns to the harvest facility and carries out the duties of bine hanger/bottom feeder. TOP FEEDER: Job consists of the worker guiding hops into the machine ensuring that they don’t get tangled, and the machine doesn’t get jammed and is running at capacity at all times. Assist machine mechanics in general maintenance and upkeep is directed. BINE PICK-UP: Walk directly behind the top cutter picking up fallen hop bines and place it in the next truck available in the field. Assist top and bottom cutter. TOP CUTTER: The 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: The worker drives the tractor by cutting the bottom of the hop bines in the field. May at times be required to hand cut hop bines from the field. SWEEPER: Use long broom to sweep fallen hops to bottom conveyor. Worker must keep the processing area clean at all times. Pick up and hang fallen bines. DRYER ASSISTANT: Clean all Kiln areas, turn on/off burners, assist Kiln layer. KILN LAYER: Job consists of the worker making sure all of the hops are evenly spread and dried and dumped continuously. BALER: Bale hop hales, weigh and count each bale. BALING ASSISTANT: Helps bale, mark and move hop bales. Track lot number and hop variety. TWINNING/ STRINGING HOPS: Attaching string (twine) between trellis and the ground. Driving the stringing cart (tractor) while other workers tie twine. Worker 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 the ground. Workers will fill water tank with hops twine to make twine damp. Workers will fix any strings that come loose or need repair. TRAINING HOPS: as the hop grows, wraps any bine that has not grabbed on to the twine. Hop bines are delicate and care must be taken when performing this task. PLANTING: HOP FIELDS: Planting hop roots or hop plants in pots in new hop yards. DRIP IRRIGATION: 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 straight 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. Additional duties for all crops: 1. May operate and maintain equipment used in agricultural production and field preparation, such as tractors, irrigation equipment, 4- wheeled vehicles, trucks, and other equipment commonly used in agriculture to mow, plow, harrow and fertilize soil, or to plant, cultivate, spray and harvest crops. 2. Mix specified materials or chemicals, and dump solutions, powders, or seeds into planter or sprayer machinery. 3. Spray fertilizer or pesticide solutions to control insects, fungus and weed growth, and diseases, using hand sprayers. 4. Install monitor, maintain and repair the irrigation system for a specified area of the fields. 5. Workers may also clean debris and garbage from fields and clean/maintain farm buildings, structures, equipment, and work areas. 6. Assist with farm buildings/field maintenance and repairs. 7. Workers may also drive vehicles to transport farm workers, produce and equipment. Fruit Farm Labor and Harvest job description encompasses the growing and harvest of apples, and pears. The worker will perform duties on a motorized platform, from the ground and/ or utilizing a ladder. The worker must possess the ability to pick-up and handle a 10 –12 ft. ladder weighing up to 60 pounds. HARVESTING CHERRIES, APPLES, AND PEARS: The worker will hand harvest fruit on a motorized platform, from the ground and/ or utilizing a ladder. The worker must possess the ability to pick up and handle 10 -12 ft. orchard ladder, weighing 60 pounds. The worker will attach the harness, bucket or bag and pick low hanging fruit. The worker will pick according to grade, color, and size by grasping fruit with their hands and removing it from the tree in a motion that will not harm buds on tree branches. The worker will carry the harness, bucket or bag of fruit and will place the fruit into lugs or bin. The worker must exercise care at all times to prevent bruising of fruit or breaking of branches. Some workers may be tasked with examining harvested fruit in bins and sort out any fruit not meeting the grade, color, and size specifications. Additional duties: 1.Caring for trees during growing process. 2.Monitoring tree disease such as blighted branches in apples and gummosis in cherries. 3.Harvest preparation including spreading liners in bins and rolling bins into blocks by hand. 4.Loading and unloading empty bins by hand. 5.Sorting fruit during harvest and verifying quality of fruit 6.Farm clean up tasks to include picking up garbage around the orchard, removing old string/ wire from trellis/ orchard blocks and other tasks. 7.Bin repair 8. Verify bin count and numbers and ensuring bins are adequately full 9. Communicate with crew boss to ensure bins are full and fruit is handled appropriately 10. Laying and removing mylar from orchards 11. Sanitize bins, lugs, and buckets 12. Remove bins from orchards, pick up lugs from orchards 13. Hoeing and weeding of all crops listed. 14. Orchard Trellis Installation and repair. 15. IRRIGATION: The main responsibility of the irrigator is to move water throughout the farm to properly irrigate the orchard. The irrigator will use in a safe manner a 4-wheeler to travel from block to block to open and close valves and check lines for plugs, remove debris that disrupts sprinklers, and make any necessary repairs. Irrigators may at times need to make PVC pipe repairs that are underground and need to be dug up with a shovel. Other repairs may be above ground and may require the use of a ladder. All tools and necessary repair materials will be provided to the irrigator. Thinning, pruning, and training fruit trees may be performed from a motorized platform, the ground or from a ladder. TRAINING: There will be a demonstration period to familiarize workers with working specifications and to demonstrate appropriate harvesting methods and other crop-specific issues, such as particular qualification or sizing specifications. The worker will be trained on how to hand tie fruit trees on a motorized platform, from the ground and/ or utilizing a ladder. The worker will tie, tape or clip fruit tree limbs to wires; position limbs of fruit trees; shoot thin; remove suckers, thin clusters, position shoots, hedge or remove leaves. THINNING: The worker will hand thin on a motorized platform, from the ground and/ or utilizing a ladder. The worker will use hands or scissor-like clippers to remove small fruit blossoms, buds and/ or identifiable fruit from within a cluster of other fruits. The workers must be able to identify and remove fruit that is misshapen, damaged and/or contains other quality problems. PRUNING: The worker will hand prune trees and on a motorized platform, from the ground and/ or utilizing a ladder. The worker will utilize hand shears, hand loppers, hand saws and/or other equipment. The worker may be required to selectively prune trees of certain size and color as instructed by their supervisor. The worker will identify and remove stubs, broken branches, downward growing branches, branches which rub against each other, shaded interior branches, dead wood, shoots, and suckers with various equipment. Equipment may include chain saws, poles saws or other power tools as needed. NURSERY WORK: Digging, sorting, and bundling small fruit trees in the nursery. Workers will put sawdust around tree roots and be responsible for care and growth of young fruit trees. Weed control, frost control/irrigation. JOB REQUIREMENTS - Must have at least three (3) months of tree fruit, nursery, and row crop 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 March 24, 2024 to November 9, 2024 6 hours per day, Monday through Friday 5 hours Saturdays SALARY/WAGE/BENEFITS Wage offer $19.25/hour. No work will be performed at less than the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) of $19.25 AEWR The payroll period is weekly. Piece Rates Apple Harvesting – All $28.26 Per 47x47x24.5 bin. Estimated hourly wage rate equivalent may range from $21.19 per bin to $60 per bin. Depending on various factors including weather, crop density, type of picking procedure such as stem clipping and sort picking and others, average bins filled per hour can range from 0.75 to 1.0. Varieties include Red Delicious, Gold Delicious, Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, Autumn Glory, Cosmic Crisp, and Johnny Golds. Guaranteed $19.25 per hour. Apple Harvesting – Cripps Pink (Pink Lady) $30.00 Per 47x47x24.5 bin. The employer would like to pay the Pink Lady apple variety from $30 per bin to $60 per bin, depending on various factors including weather, crop density, type of picking procedure such as stem clipping and sort picking and others. Estimated hourly wage rate equivalent may range from $22.50 to $60 based on average bins filled per hour that can range from 0.75 to 1.0. Guaranteed $19.25 per hour. Apple Harvesting –Honey Crisp $31.76 Per 47x47x24.5 bin. The employer would like to pay the Honey Crisp apple variety from $31.76 per bin to $60 per bin, depending on various factors including weather, crop density, type of picking procedure such as stem clipping and sort picking and others. Estimated hourly wage rate equivalent may range from $23.82 to $60 based on average bins filled per hour that can range from 0.75 to 1.0. Guaranteed $19.25 per hour. Pears Harvesting $25.00 Per 47x47x24.5 bin. Estimated hourly wage rate equivalent may range from $18.75 per bin to $25 per bin. Depending on various factors including weather, crop density, type of picking procedure and others, average bins filled per hour can range from 0.75 to 1.0. Guaranteed $19.25 per hour. Cherries, Dark Red Harvesting – Sweet $00.22 The employer would like to pay the Cherries, Dark Red Harvesting – Sweet per 20 lb. bucket - $9.00. Estimated hourly wage rate equivalent may range from $40.50 to $45. Depending on various factors including weather, crop density, type of picking procedure and others, average buckets picked per hour can range from 4.5 to 5.0. Guaranteed $19.25 per hour. Cherries Harvesting – Lapin $00.20 The employer would like to pay the Cherries Harvesting –Lapin per 20 lb. bucket - $9.00. Estimated hourly wage rate equivalent may range from $40.50 to $45. Depending on various factors including weather, crop density, type of picking procedure and others, average buckets picked per hour can range from 4.5 to 5.0. Guaranteed $19.25 per hour. Cherries Harvesting – Sweetheart $00.21 The employer would like to pay the Cherries Harvesting - sweetheart per 20 lb. bucket - $9.00. Estimated hourly wage rate equivalent may range from $40.50 to $45. Depending on various factors including weather, crop density, type of picking procedure and others, average buckets picked per hour can range from 4.5 to 5.0. Guaranteed $19.25 per hour. 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. TRANSPORTATION The employer agrees to provide or pay for the worker's transportation and daily subsistence from the place of employment to the place from which the worker, disregarding intervening employment, departed to work for the employer, pursuant to 20 CFR 655.122(h)(2).It is always the employer’s choice whether to advance or provide transportation as described in this paragraph. MEALS The Employer will furnish cooking facilities with working appliances, hot water, a place to prepare food at no cost to employees occupying employer-provided housing. Employees will purchase their own food and prepare their own meals. In the event that it becomes necessary for the employer to provide 3 meals a day to the workers, the employer will deduct $15.46 per day or the current allowable charge as designated by the DOL from each worker’s pay. All breaks and lunches will be subject to local, state, and federal regulations. 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 July 18, 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: 268560289 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. |