Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop

Harvesting and Field Operations (Primary Duties) Workers will perform manual labor to harvest watermelons by walking through field rows, identifying ripe fruit, and using a small knife to hand-cut watermelons from the vine. After cutting, workers will turn the watermelons to prepare them for loading. Working in coordinated teams, workers will bend, lift, and handle watermelons weighing between 20 and 60 pounds. Workers will transfer harvested watermelons through a coordinated “pitching” or hand-to-hand tossing process until the fruit reaches a teammate positioned inside a transport vehicle (bus or trailer), where watermelons will be carefully stacked for transport. On-Farm Packing House Operations (Primary Duties) Once transport vehicles are full, they will be moved to the on-farm packing house, which is located on the employer’s property and processes more than 50 percent of the employer’s own crop. Workers will manually unload watermelons from transport vehicles and place them onto conveyor belts for movement into the facility. Inside the packing house, workers will sort watermelons by size, apply labels, and pack the fruit into bins or containers for final shipment. Incidental Equipment Operation (Secondary) As an incidental duty, workers may occasionally assist with the basic operation of agricultural equipment, such as forklifts or farm transport vehicles, solely within the boundaries of the farm property. This equipment operation will be infrequent, non-specialized, and performed only after employer-provided instruction. It is not a primary function of the job. General Maintenance and Incidental Tasks During periods of inclement weather, reduced harvest activity, or for workers on physical work restrictions, workers will perform general clean-up and incidental maintenance. Duties include clearing debris, weeds, and vines; removing plastic mulch or ground covers; pruning, painting, or sprouting trees; and performing general cleaning or minor, incidental repairs to farm structures, irrigation lines, and worker housing. Workers must be able to work outdoors for at least six (6) hours per day in various weather conditions (heat, cold, and light rain) and possess the endurance to work efficiently at a sustained pace after employer-provided instruction. The employer provides all tools at no cost. Deductions for damage or failure to return tools will only occur in cases of willful damage and with written authorization. At its sole discretion, the employer may pay a wage higher than the AEWR based on performance or tenure; this is voluntary and does not alter the entry-level nature of the job. Employees may volunteer to work additional hours when work is available. While available hours may occasionally exceed the hours offered, such additional hours are not guaranteed. Workers are not required to work beyond the daily or weekly hours stated in the contract, nor on a worker’s Sabbath or federal holidays. Workers should expect occasional periods of little or no work due to weather, crop maturity, or other conditions beyond the employer’s control. These periods may occur at any time throughout the season. If a worker requests a leave of absence during the contract period while work is available, the hours missed during that leave will be deducted from hours worked but still counted toward the total hours offered under the ETA-790 for purposes of meeting the three-quarter guarantee. A copy of the work contract, or ETA Form 790 in lieu of a separate contract, including any approved modifications, will be provided in the language the worker understands. For H-2A workers, the contract will be provided no later than the time of visa application. For workers in corresponding employment, the contract will be provided no later than the first day of work. For H-2A workers transferring to a subsequent H-2A employer, the contract will be provided no later than the time the subsequent offer of employment is made.

Salary : $14