AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT OPERATORS
Employer: SOUTHERN VERMONT ORCHARDS INC
Location: BENNINGTON, VT
Workers needed: 15
Pay: $19.55/hour
Season: Jan 20, 2027 – Nov 20, 2027
Experience: 3 months
Employer-provided housing; Transportation provided/reimbursed
The job
OPERATE TRUCKS, TRACTORS, OR OTHER MULTI-PURPOSE VEHICLES TO TRANSPORT WORKERS FROM HOUSING (WHETHER ON OR OFF FARM) TO THE FARM PROPERTIES; HAUL TOOLS, SUPPLIES, OR CROPS; TRANSPORT WORKERS FROM PLACE TO PLACE AROUND THE FARM PROPERTIES DURING THE WORKDAY (INCLUDING ON PUBLIC ROADS TO REACH FARMER’S FIELDS); AND/OR TRANSPORT WORKERS TO THE GROCERY STORE, OR BANK ON AN AS-NEEDED BASIS. LOAD AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS INTO TRUCKS, AND DRIVE TRUCKS TO MARKET OR STORAGE FACILITIES. NOT ALL WORKERS ARE REQUESTED TO DRIVE; DRIVERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO POSSESS A VALID OPERATORS LICENSE. NO ONE WILL BE REJECTED FOR THE POSITION THAT DOES NOT POSSESS A CLASS D LICENSE.
WORKERS ARE SCREENED FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
1.) CONFIRM ABILITY, AVAILABILITY, QUALIFICATIONS AND WILLINGNESS TO PERFORM WORK DESCRIBED AND CONFIRM INTUITION TO WORK THE ENTIRE SEASON
2) LOCAL WORKERS CONFIRM AVAILABILITY OF RELIABLE DAILY TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM THE JOB SITE FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON. NON-LOCAL WORKERS CONFIRM AVAILABILITY OF TRANSPORTATION TO JOB SITE TO BEGIN WORK
3) CONFIRMATION OF FULL DISCLOSURE OF ALL TERMS, CONDITION, AND NATURE OF WORK-JOB BY LOCAL EMPLOYMENT STAFF
4) AFFIRMATIVE CONFIRMATION OF LEGAL QUALIFICATIONS TO WORK IN THE US AS DESCRIBED BELOW.
THE EMPLOYER MAY TERMINATE THE WORKER (FOREIGN AND/OR DOMESTIC) WITH NOTIFICATION TO THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE IF THE EMPLOYER DISCOVERS A CRIMINAL CONVICTION RECORD OR STATUS AS A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER THAT THE EMPLOYER REASONABLY BELIEVES, CONSISTENT WITH CURRENT LAW, WILL IMPAIR THE SAFETY AND LIVING CONDITIONS OF OTHER WORKERS.
ALL APPLICANTS MUST BE ABLE, WILLING AND QUALIFIED TO PERFORM THE WORK DESCRIBED IN THE JOB ORDER AND MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR THE ENTIRE PERIOD OF EMPLOYMENT SPECIFIED IN THE CONTRACT. JOB DUTIES INCLUDE PRUNING, THINNING, GENERAL ORCHARD WORK AND HARVESTING PRODUCE IN AN APPLE ORCHARD AS WELL AS FIELD WORK OF WEEDING, THINNING, HOEING AND OTHER DUTIES RELATED TO THE PLANTING, MAINTAINING AND HARVESTING OF STRAWBERRIES AND BLUEBERRIES. IN ADDITION, WORKERS MAY BE ASKED TO DRIVE TRACTORS, PICK UP BRUSH FROM ORCHARD FLOOR, PICK ROCKS TO PREPARE SOIL FOR PLANTING, REPAIR BROKEN BINS, PLANT AND WATER TREES AND PERFORM OTHER FARM RELATED DUTIES AS THE NEED ARISES. WORKERS MAY ALSO WORK IN A PACKING HOUSE, LOAD AND UNLOAD TRUCKS, PACK APPLES INTO TOTES AND DRIVE TRUCKS TO REMOVE APPLE BINS FROM THE OUTLYING ORCHARD AT HARVEST TIME. WORKERS WILL HARVEST APPLES FROM APPROXIMATELY AUGUST 15TH TO OCTOBER 31ST. PRODUCTIVITY DURING APPLE HARVEST MUST BE AT LEAST 60 1-1/8 BU BOXES PER 7 HOURS WORKED WITH NO MORE THAN 5% BRUISING FOR FRESH MARKET. THE EMPLOYER WILL PROVIDE 1 DAY OF TRAINING AND ALLOW 2 DAYS OF WORK FOR THE WORKER TO SATISFACTORILY PERFORM THE DUTIES DESCRIBED IN THE JOB DESCRIPTION. WORKERS MAY
SUPERVISE CREWS OF UP TO 10 WORKERS DURING APPLE HARVEST. BONUSES MAY BE OFFERED TO ANY SEASONAL WORKER EMPLOYED PURSUANT TO THIS JOB ORDER, AT THE COMPANIES SOLE DISCRETION, BASED ON INDIVIDUAL FACTORS INCLUDING WORK PERFORMANCE, SKILL AND TENURE. WORKERS SHOULD REPORT TO WORK WITH THEIR OWN SUITABLE WORK CLOTHING.
Housing: Employer-provided (including mobile or range)
Meals: EMPLOYER PROVIDES FREE AND CONVENIENT COOKING AND KITCHEN FACILITIES SO THAT WORKERS CAN PREPARE THEIR OWN
MEALS. WORKERS BUY THEIR OWN FOOD AND EMPLOYER WILL PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION ONCE A WEEK OR AS NEEDED VIA 3 BUSES (ONE WITH A CAPACITY OF 20, TWO WITH A CAPACITY OF 15) . THIS WILL ASSURE WORKERS ACCESS TO STORES WHERE THEY CAN PURCHASE GROCERIES AND/OR OTHER INCIDENTALS. ALL VEHICLES WILL BE PROPERLY INSURED AS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE REGULATIONS.
Transport: Employer agrees to reimburse inbound/outbound transportation and subsistence expenses ($16.78 per day to a maximum of $68.00 per day with receipts) to each worker or any person, government agency or private organization which on behalf of the worker has paid or advanced such transportation and subsistence expenses, from the place from which the worker has originated, whether in the US or abroad to the place of employment, after the worker has completed 50% of the stipulated period of employment.
Experience wanted: 3 months
Workers may supervise crews of up to 10 workers during apple harvest only. The employer will not guarantee to pay the workers a bonus but reserves the right, at the employers sole discretion, to offer a bonus or to pay an hourly wage rate in excess of the highest applicable rate stated above based on longevity of tenure or exceptional job performance.
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