Field Workers, Citrus Shed, Citrus Forklift Drivers

at Foothill Packing Inc in Yuma, Arizona, United States

Job Description

Field Workers (Citrus, Dates, and Olives), Citrus Shed, and Citrus Forklift Drivers

Heavy labor of harvesting Citrus, Olives and Dates as per color and size requirements. Climbing regular and 3-point ladder as needed to pick fruit. Employees will be using proper shears for picking citrus. Cutting, not pulling, the citrus with hand shear; Putting fruit into bag sack, which is carried on the front of the body, with straps around the shoulder and back for support. Sack full of fruit can weigh up to 50 lbs. The sack is then emptied into bin in a manner instructed by supervisor. This is repeated until the bin is full. Employees will need to walk around the tree, under the tree, and inside the tree and from a ladder to pick the appropriate fruit. Employees will be wearing safety protection, hard hats, gloves, protective sleeves, knee pads, and eye protection. Employees will be pruning and hoeing citrus, date, and olive trees, using both hands pruning shears, pruning loppers and long handled hoes. Employees will be expected to follow the direction and techniques specific to various trees from the supervisor. Employees will be planting citrus. Start times vary depending on the weather (fog or heavy dew). Fruit cannot be picked until it is dry on the outside of the fruit. Performs maintenance in and around the ranch such as cleaning and repairing irrigation canals, weeding, and thinning with a long handle hoe around trees and irrigation valves, and trash removal.

Tree Work – All tree (Citrus, Date Palms/Olive Trees) work & harvest requires either working from the ground while standing or walking on uneven ground or working from a basket/platform that is raised by a forklift or reach lift that will be raised off the ground that could be as high as 55 feet off the ground. Employees in basket/platform are required to wear safety harnesses.

Specific to Date Palms - De-thorn job is done by removing thorns from palms with curved knife while standing on the ground or in a raised platform, by moving the knife along the edges of the frond removing the thorns.

Must have 1 month work experience working in citrus or dates field work as defined in this application. Written verification required.
Specific requirements include lifting to 50 pounds frequently and able to use hand tools, including cutting knives, shears, and long
handled hoes. Cannot be color blind due to the need to distinguish colors of crops. Must be able to work under conditions where skin and clothing become heavily soiled with mud, water, grease, etc.

Must be able to work outdoors in inclement weather conditions, including rain, cold, high winds, etc. Work involves frequent bending and working in bent or stooped positions. Must be able to walk and stand up extensively. Must be able to climb ladders
and not be afraid of heights. No smoking, alcohol, firearms in fields or housing. Workers must listen to, understand and follow instructions of company supervisors and managers.

Work is performed in open fields and may involve exposure to sun, mud, dust, wind, heat, cold, wet, humid, warm, and dry and other natural elements of the normal field environment. Temperatures can range from 30 degrees Fahrenheit to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the period of employment. Workers should come prepared with appropriate clothing and footwear for the environmental and working conditions described.

This work may entail exposure to plant pollens, insects, and noxious plants, and to fields and plant materials which have been treated with insect and/or disease control sprays. The employer will comply with all worker protection standards and re-entry restrictions applicable to pesticides and other chemicals used in the fields. Workers are also required to comply with all applicable worker protection standards and re-entry times.

Daily individual work assignments will be made by, and at the sole discretion of, the Company as the needs of the harvesting operation dictate. Workers will be assigned to specific worksites by the company.

Workers are expected to assist in maintaining work areas and company property in a neat and clean condition by not littering. Lunch must be eaten in the assigned area(s) away from the employee’s work site and accordance to company Food Safety policies.

Workers will be expected to comply with all provisions of this Clearance Order and the Company’s work rules, policies and procedures, and to perform all assigned tasks in a professional and efficient manner. Failure to do so will subject the worker to the employer’s disciplinary procedures. Foothill Packing endeavors to produce a premium product. This is a demanding, competitive business. A high-quality product is expected and demanded by our customers.

All food and safety rules and instructions must be meticulously observed throughout the workday. All Foothill Packing rules and policies must be followed, to the extent that they do not conflict with the provisions of this Clearance Order and/or the U.S.
Department of Labor’s H-2A regulations.

Citrus Packing Shed- Perform pre-grading activities, including operating bin dump and leveling citrus fruit in bins to prevent over-filling. Remove and discard waste prior to grading and sorting process. Assemble and label cartons, fill cartons with citrus fruits. Insert cartons into electronic sizer to be filled. Monitor that citrus carton are filled properly and carton flow operates smoothly. Remove any cartons not meeting grade standard. Empty, clean and refill water tanks. Ensure bins are clean. Remove dirt and trash, wash with water. Assemble and label bins to be filled with citrus fruit. Dump cartons filled with citrus fruit into clean bins to required filling capacity. Move empty bins manually. Bag graded fruit and put in specified cartons/boxes. Operate automatic electric bagging equipment. Assemble and label cartons/boxes to contain bagged fruit. Assemble bags and fill the bagging machine. Remove filled bags, apply bag ties, and put in specified cartons/boxes. Rework degraded citrus fruit in cartons. Set cartons on rollers or shoots. Sort citrus fruit to remove degraded material, rearrange citrus fruit to specifications. Stack filled cartons/boxes. Remove cartons/boxes from conveyor and stack similar cartons/boxes together. Remove and discard citrus fruit and waste left along line. Clean work area and equipment. Empty trash. May operate post-harvest fruit grading equipment and assist as safety monitor when equipment is being operated. Must maintain awareness of industrial and fruit grading equipment, and respond to industrial sounds
and warnings, such as industrial vehicles, horns, etc. Tasks may include forceful grasping, lifting, carrying (in a stooped position, at waist level and overhead) to 40 + pounds.

Load and unload trucks. Carry items to warehouse and maintain inventory. Clean warehouse, utilize space efficiently. Ensure proper storage of product. Follow safety procedures, use required safety gear and operate machinery safely. Warehouse machinery may include forklifts, jacks, and shrink wrap machines. Record loaded/unloaded items in logs. Track inventory and process product. Tasks may include repeated bending, stooping, and lifting to 40+ pounds.

Operate forklift. Utilize forklift to move filled bins and stacked citrus fruit. Prepare merchandise for transport. Perform regular maintenance and repairs on forklifts and other machinery. Communicate with supervisor to determine priorities. Clean and sanitize the forklift. May prepare items to be moved and use scanners to track items. Other duties may include monitoring for damaged goods and possible hazards and recording data about product being moved.

Use approved chemicals to disinfect surfaces. Disassemble, sanitize, and reassemble all components of fruit grading equipment. Clean floors. Ensure building ventilation system is clean and in working order. Stock restrooms with required supplies.
Report potential sanitation issues to management. Clean and sanitize drains. Remove and dispose of waste and discarded fruit along line.

Citrus Forklift Drivers – under the direction of the foreman/supervisor the driver is responsible for moving bins, platforms/reach and harvest trailers to facilitate either tree work, harvest, or moving of equipment for daily operations. Drivers are to assist in
preparing the equipment for immediate field operations, or movement to a new location. Directing Citrus forklift through the field, pulling trailers or attachments before, during or after all palm tree operations. Employees must conduct daily maintenance
checks prior to operating citrus forklift. Required to have basic knowledge of driving a citrus forklift, must pass citrus forklift training and demonstrate ability to operate citrus forklift in a safe manner. All jobs are done under the direction of the foreman
and supervisor to ensure quality of the work. Training will be provided by a certified safety team representative.

Workers may occasionally and/or sporadically perform duties associated with and directly related to the primary duties such as cleaning and general maintenance of the commodities specified during and after picking up trash, discarding material and
assisting as safety monitor when equipment is moving within the ranch locations.

All of the above work requires an able bodied person to lift up to 50 lbs., odd shapes, pull, push, climb, walk on uneven ground all day, be physically flexible to work in/on basket/platform in a tree, dexterity to use knives and scissor like pruners all day,
tie different kinds of strings/ ropes with different knots, good eyesight for plant identification and ability to see what to harvest and where to make cuts, good personal hygiene, clothes and shoes appropriate for working in heat/ cold/ outdoors, ability to
take instructions and follow them, use safety equipment correctly. If machine operator, driver must safely and carefully operate equipment that they are authorized/trained on in a safe manner.

In the event that an employee is injured while on the job, the Company will provide a temporary work assignment that will be as closely related to the job duties described herein, while the employee recovers from a work-related illness which meets with
physician’s clearance to return to work under specific limitations. The work assignment will not be a permanent position, it will be temporary to accommodate the injured worker under doctor’s restrictions and time period that may differ from the heavy
field work described within.

The normal work week is 6 hours per day, Monday through Friday, and 5 hours on Saturday (35 hours per week). Saturday work is required. Workers may be requested to work on Sundays or Federal Holidays depending on the conditions of the fields, weather, and maturity of the crop.

Overtime may be requested.

Overtime is paid after 8 hours per day and or 40 hours per week for work performed in California. The employer will abide by the seventh (7) day of rest rules. For work performed in California, overtime is one and one-half times the base salary and is $25.35.

In Arizona, overtime is paid only for shed work after 40 hours per week. This is regular, full-time work for a temporary period of time requiring the worker to be available for work on a daily basis. This is not “day work”. Excessive tardiness and/or absences will not be tolerated and will result in disciplinary action, in accordance to Foothill’s policies in its handbook.

Start times vary depending on the weather and working conditions may change (fog, rain, heavy dew, and frost). The workday start times may vary between 6:00 am and 12:00 pm and the workday end times vary between from 12:30 pm to 6:30 pm depending on the start time. Work can start early in the morning. Workers must be able to work varying shifts as required by the season and work performed. Workers are notified of any change in the start time.

Employees are expected to take meal and rest periods as outlined below. Rest and meal periods will be staggered accordingly, an unpaid lunch break of 30 minutes for every 5 hours of work and 10 minutes paid rest period for every four hours worked or major fraction thereof. In a work day of more than 10 hours, a second unpaid meal period of 30 minutes is authorized, but may be waived if working 12 hours or less and the first meal period was taken. The second meal period cannot be waived if working more than 12 hours. Employees will be relieved of all work during meal and rest periods, if rest periods are interrupted by work, employees must notify management.

All employees not occupying employer-provided housing must provide the Company with contact information before the worker commences employment. This contact information may be used to notify the worker not to report work due to inclement weather or when work is not available or to notify the workers of any change in the worker’s daily schedule, or for any other reason.

Employees may experience a temporary reduction in work and/or a temporary work stoppage due to the natural agricultural cycle.