FARM WORKERS, X185, Yakima, Tieton, Cowiche This is a job order for field work and labor for growing and maintaining apples, pears, cherries. This job opportunity is limited to qualified, available workers that are currently eligible to work in the United States, per federal regulation. Crops/Commodities: Apples, pears, cherries. JOB DUTIES: Harvest of Apples and Pears Worker will hand harvest numerous varieties of pome fruits (apples and pears) according to established company procedures accounting for difference in the treatment of different varieties. Hand harvesters may be instructed to pick culls and peelers (as directed and identified by supervisor) and drop on ground or place in bin. Worker will attach harness bag and pick low hanging fruit while standing on the ground and higher branches while standing on a ladder. Worker will pick according to grade, color and size by grasping fruit with the hands and removing from the tree in a motion so as not to harm adjacent buds on the tree branches, or bruise the fruit. Worker will carry harness bag of up to 60 lbs. and will place fruit into wooden bins, which hold approximately 25 bushels of fruit. Care must be exercised at all times to prevent bruising or damage of fruit when it is placed in the bin or breaking of branches. Some workers may be required to examine harvested fruit in bins and sort out any fruit not meeting the grade, color and size specifications. Observation of bruised, damaged or cull fruit by the supervisor will result in a bad bin mark and after three bad bin marks, the employees will receive disciplinary action up to and including termination. A bad bin mark occurs when a bin is inspected and a significant number of culls, bruised or damaged fruits are found by the supervisor. Pruning Pruning numerous varieties of apple and pear trees according to established company procedures based on the difference in the treatment of different varieties. Work will be performed on trees for long periods of time using a variety of pruning equipment including hand shears, hand loppers, hand saws and 10-foot ladders. Workers pruning apple and pear trees may be required to selectively prune only trees of a certain size as instructed by the crew boss. Workers are expected to possess or acquire pruning skills in order to be able to identify and remove stubs or broken branches, downward-growing branches, branches which rub against each other, shaded interior branches, dead wood and shoots/suckers and selectively remove diseased limbs and branches due to fire blight and/or bacterial canker with hand pruning saws and clippers, mechanized clippers and pole pruners. Occasionally workers may be required to use chain saws and other mechanized equipment in pruning activities. Careful pruning requires knowledge of what to prune, how much to prune and fruit trees' growth habits. The primary reason for pruning fruit trees is to improve fruit quality and thus increase crop marketability and value. Thinning Thinning is a manual process used to control the size and fruit quality of grown fruit. Employees will be given appropriate training by supervisors. Ability to pick up, use and safely handle a 12 foot orchard ladder weighing approximately 40 lbs. is necessary for performance of thinning tasks. This process requires the employee to be able to appropriately remove the smallest fruit blossom, bud and/or identifiable fruit from within a cluster of other fruits. Workers will be expected to be able to identify and remove fruit that is misshapen, damaged and/or have other quality problems as directed by supervisors. Sorting/Packing Workers will perform sorting/packing of apples and pears in packing facility. Workers must adhere to all Food Safety Protocol. Workers may be required to operate a forklift. Worker may care for young non-producing fruit trees including weeding, hoeing, trunk painting, hand fertilizing and growth selection by hand and clipping. 2.Pulling of weeds. Must be able to hoe orchard trees to eliminate unwanted weeds and debris. Must be able to bend and pick up unwanted rocks in the orchard tree rows. 3.Spray herbicides and insecticides and apply fertilizer. 4.Farm clean up tasks include picking up garbage around orchard, removing old string and wire from trellis and orchard blocks and other hand tasks. 5.Use power equipment including but not limited to: tractors, planters, mowers, plows, sprayers, cultivators, power shears, chain saws, high lifts, fork lifts, skid loaders. Must operate agricultural equipment safely, with or without direction. May drive tractor in between orchard trees, pushing full bins and removing bins from orchard rows, mowing grass. Under supervision, workers may move full or empty bins from orchard to warehouse and within warehouse by truck. Workers will also perform general maintenance and servicing of machinery, equipment, housing and facility. Employees will be given appropriate training/instruction in the safety and operation of equipment before use. 6.Training and limb positioning of apple and pear trees, as well as training trees to trellis, including clipping and tying limbs and shoots to wire. 7.Laying out irrigation pipe and installing/repairing sprinklers. 8.Providing general labor to assist in the establishment of new orchard properties by clearing property, planting trees, building trellis, repairing and spreading of composted material and any other labor considered necessary for the efficient structure of new orchard properties. 9.Harvest preparation including spreading liners in bins, rolling bins into blocks by hand. 10.Propping and tying of pear and apple trees and limbs. 11.Pruning and thinning may be done from the ground or ladder up to 12 feet in height. 12. Place pest control devices including traps, pheromones and paints. Cherries: Maximization of fruit quality is of paramount importance. Different varieties of cherries will be picked according to established company procedures accounting for difference in the treatment of different varieties. Workers must be able to handle ladders which are 12ft. In length and weigh 40 lbs while managing a picking basket/bucket that weighs approximately 20 lbs. Pickers are required to pick the fruit by leaving the stems attached with their fingers and by placing the harvested fruit at the bottom of the basket/bucket. Great care must be taken to ensure that the fruit is harvested and placed into the basket/bucket so as to not bruise or damage the fruit. Picking will be performed by color, or color and size as well as by defects which would render the fruit unmarketable. Such defects include but are not limited to bird pecks, limb rub, splits and sunburn. The harvest supervisor will show all harvesters the correct way to pick cherries to reach the quality objectives of the company. Under supervision, workers may check quality of cherries in the bins. Workers will also thin cherries, prune cherry trees and perform other related cherry tasks. JOB REQUIREMENTS - Must have at least (2) two months of prior agricultural employment experience, preferably working in tree fruit orchards, handling both manual and machine tasks associated with commodity production and harvest activities.
- Employer-paid post-hire drug testing is required upon reasonable suspicion of use.
- 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 15, 2024 to December 31, 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 Biweekly. Piece Rates Gala – High Density $28.26 per bin (47 inch x 47 inch x 24 1/2 inch); Guaranteed AEWR $19.25 per hour minimum; average bins per hour .4375; estimated hourly wage rate for each bin worker completes $12.36 Gala – Low Density $28.26 per bin (47 inch x 47 inch x 24 1/2 inch); Guaranteed AEWR $19.25 per hour minimum; average bins per hour .375; estimated hourly wage rate for each bin worker completes $10.59 Honey Crisp $31.76 per bin (47 inch x 47 inch x 24 1/2 inch); Will be selected picking by color 2-3 times; Guaranteed AEWR $19.25 per hour minimum; average bins per hour .25; estimated hourly wage rate for each bin worker completes $7.94 Red Delicious $28.26 per bin (47 inch x 47 inch x 24 1/2 inch); Guaranteed AEWR $19.25 per hour minimum; average bins per hour .375; estimated hourly wage rate for each bin worker completes $10.59 Fuji $28.26 per bin (47 inch x 47 inch x 24 1/2 inch); Guaranteed AEWR $19.25 per hour minimum; average bins per hour .375; estimated hourly wage rate for each bin worker completes $10.59 Pear Harvest: High Density $23.49 per bin (47 inch x 47 inch x 24 1/2 inch); Guaranteed AEWR $19.25 per hour minimum; average bins per hour .3125; estimated hourly wage rate for each bin worker completes $7.34 Low Density $25.04 per bin (47 inch x 47 inch x 24 1/2 inch); Guaranteed AEWR $19.25 per hour minimum; average bins per hour .25; estimated hourly wage rate for each bin worker completes $6.26 Cherry Harvest: High Density $00.22. per lb.(1 lug is 18 lbs. cherries + 2 lbs. for lug = 20 lb. lug); Guaranteed AEWR $19.25 per hour minimum; average 54 lbs (3 lugs) per hour; estimated hourly wage rate for lbs. picked $11.88 Low Density $00.23 per lb. (1 lug is 18 lbs. cherries + 2 lbs. for lug = 20 lb. lug); Guaranteed AEWR $19.25 per hour minimum; average 45 lbs (2.5 lugs) per hour; estimated hourly wage rate for lbs. picked $10.35 HOUSING Housing provided only to non-local workers (i.e. permanent residence outside normal commuting distance). Only workers may occupy housing. Employer provides separate sleeping and bathroom facilities for each gender. Employer possesses and controls premises at all times. Workers must vacate housing promptly at end of contract period or upon termination, in accordance with state law. TRANSPORTATION Employer provides incidental transportation between worksites at no cost to workers. For workers residing in employer-provided housing, employer also provides free daily transportation to and from the worksite, and weekly transportation to closest town/city for personal errands (e.g., groceries, banking services). Exact transportation schedule varies depending on work location, work/weather conditions, and other factors, but shall occur within a reasonable time before/after workday begins/ends. MEALS Employer does not provide meals. Employer-provided housing includes free and convenient kitchen facilities with appropriate equipment, appliances, cooking accessories, and dishwashing facilities for meal preparation. For workers residing in employer-provided housing, employer also provides free transportation once per week to/from closest town or city for personal errands (e.g., groceries, banking services). Dining, kitchen/cooking facilities and other common areas are shared by all workers. In the event that 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, or as otherwise approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. 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 August 8, 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: 267281364 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. |