Field/shed Support Workers

Job Overview:

• Employment Type: Full-time
• Number of Workers Requested: 578
• Employer: West Coast Tomato Growers, Inc.
• Location: Oceanside, CA 92057
• Worksite Address: 5780 Mission Avenue, Oceanside, CA 92057
• Contact: +1 760-305-5335

Job Duties:

Field Workers (Roma and Round Tomatoes)

• Soil Preparation: Use shovels or long-handled hoes to prepare soil and cut plastic to prepare the ground for planting.
• Staking: Frequently lift a 12-18 pound tool to drive stakes into the ground.
• Nursery Work: Sow and care for seedlings, clean and rotate trays, and move materials.
• Plant Care: Plant, prune (using pruning shears), top, and defoliate plants.
• Weeding: Use long-handled hoes and hands for weeding, complying with specific regulations.
• Tying Vines: Tie tomato vines to stakes using twine.
• Harvesting: Pick tomatoes by bending or reaching, and place them in cartons weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Irrigation Assistance: Help with irrigation tasks.
• Field Equipment Recovery: Recover plastic coverings and stakes from fields.
• Operating Equipment: Operate tractors and other machinery for planting, harvesting, and crop protection. Crop protection handlers will need additional safety training and medical clearance for respirator use.

Shed Support Workers

• Tomato Packing: Move packed tomato boxes or pallets to cooler rooms, separate by color, grade, and size, and stack cartons.
• Cleaning: Clean shed equipment used for packing tomatoes.
• Packing Support: Assemble and discard cartons, supply packers and fillers with materials, create and label cartons, and tie cartons.
• Safety and Maintenance: Ensure safe working areas, pick up fallen tomatoes, and assist as safety monitors when equipment is operating.

Foreman’s Assistant

• Work Monitoring: Ensure workers are performing tasks correctly, including exercises and handwashing.
• Support: Assist foremen or supervisors with daily field activities.
• Quality Control: Conduct quality control reviews, ensure safe use of farm equipment, and report unsafe conduct.
• Documentation: Fill out documentation for Food Safety, Production, and Quality Control.
• Plant and Vine Checks: Spot-check plants and tomatoes to prevent damage during non-harvest and harvest activities.

Job Classification:

• Code: 45-2092.00
• Title: Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse

Job Requirements:

• Experience: Yes, minimum of 2 months in farm work with tomatoes (within the last two years).
  • Experience includes non-harvest activities like planting, staking, pruning, topping, and defoliating.
• Special Requirements:
  • Must not be colorblind (to distinguish crop colors).
  • Must be able to use shears and other agricultural tools.
  • No smoking, illegal drugs, alcohol, or weapons allowed in dormitories or work fields.
  • Ability to communicate in English or Spanish for training and safety purposes.
  • Experience must be verified through written employment letters or references.

Work Schedule:

• Hours per Week: 40
• Shift: 6:30 A.M. – 1:30 P.M.

This position involves working in the fields and sheds to support the cultivation and processing of Roma and Round tomatoes. Workers must have relevant experience, be physically fit, and comply with safety and conduct regulations. Communication skills in English or Spanish are required for training and safety.