Employment

We are sorry but our picking crews are full for 2012 with returning workers.. Please try again.

TO NEW WORKERS 2012

Thanks for enquiring about working for us at Okanagan Harvest. There are a few things you should know before you commit to becoming one of our crew.

We harvest 20 acres of cherries over four weeks starting June 25 approximately and finishing July 31 approximately. Depending on the crop, we employ 10-12 pickers and 15 packinghouse workers who live rent-free in our campsite at one of the farms.  You will need a tent, sleeping bag, cooking utensils, working clothes (warm and cold), boots, and a bathing suit (there is a pool at the camp). The camp also has showers, flush toilets, stoves, fridges, microwaves, sinks, safe drinking water, couches and sometimes TV and movies.   

We expect you to be in our camp by June 25 and finding work with the neighbours.  Those looking for work in August should make contact with cherry growers in Kelowna and Creston listed on the website www.bccherry.com

Cherry pickers are paid by piecework and start at 5 a.m. and work until noon.  Packinghouse workers earn a minimum of $10.25 per hour and start at 6 a.m.

Our pickers are generally workers from previous years.  If you are hired as a picker or packinghouse worker you will be expected to stay the entire season, the end of June to the end of July.  Cherry season is hard physical work.... please keep it in mind if you accept this job.  It is also very hot here, over 35 celsius and we have mosquitos.  We are a family run operation with high expectations of quality work to maintain our status as world class cherry growers.  Those wishing to learn more English will be disappointed to hear most of our workers are French Canadian.

Oliver is a small town with little shopping but our camp is within walking distance and rides are provided to work.  The Greyhound bus comes to town still.

If you are hired and want to keep your name on our list, you must keep in regular contact over the next few months.  If we do not hear from you around May, your name will be removed.  Feel free to call and/or email with questions or check out the rest of the website.
 

WELCOME TO OKANAGAN HARVEST

We hope you enjoy your time with us and your stay in our free camp. Our harvest of cherries and your jobs are very weather dependent…if it rains we all have a big problem. We will try very hard to protect the crop in every way and to make your summer pleasant and profitable.
Some things you should know as an employee:
• Be quiet after 10 p.m. when we are working. Our camp is a work camp for our workers. Friends are welcome to visit but not to stay over. Showers and cooking facilities are not for guests.
 We encourage you to find work on other farms until we start harvest but then we expect you to be available when we need you and to stay until harvest is finished, usually June 25 to August 1. 
 DO NOT DRINK WATER FROM TAPS OR SPRINKLERS! It is from the polluted river and you will get sick…symptoms are diarrhea and stomach cramps. Cooler water is from a safe well in town.
 Please help keep the camp clean. Your mother is not here.
 No dogs allowed.
 No cardboard or newspaper in the dumpster. They will take away the dumpster if you do!
 PLEASE RECYCLE – PAY ATTENTION!
 Pool is available to use but this is not a party place. Please, no glass and respect any other pool rules Sara and Jim make like no midnight swimming.
 Hard drugs of any description are not allowed on the property. No drinking or pot smoking during your work day including lunch time.
 WAGES AND PAYDAY
 Minimum wage in B.C. is $10.25 per hour and .224 cents per pound or $2.24 per pail. If you leave or get fired before the end of the season, you will be paid minimum wage. Seasonal workers are not paid overtime or vacation pay.
 Most blocks of red cherry picking are paid $7 per lugl, stems on, leaves and obvious defects out. Pickers start at 5 am and work till noon depending on temperature. Pickers are expected to help afternoons in the PH if required.
 Most packing house workers are paid $10.25 per hour and more. PH workers start at 6 am and rarely work less than eight hours and often ten. If we pick, we pack till what we picked is packed. Paid rest periods for hourly workers are 15 minutes every two hours taken on site. Half-hour lunch breaks are unpaid.
 Advances available every Friday from Chris at the packing house. Payout by cheque after harvest., SIN required.
 Above all, be nice to each other, have fun and work safely.