Public Works Laborer

Responsibilities

• Performs playground equipment maintenance and repair, including carpentry, irrigation systems, rubber surface repair, chain link, and wooden fences.
• Performs gardening work: cares for lawns, gardens, shrubbery, and flower beds; plants and transplants flowers; prunes trees; sprays for insect control; weeds and waters flower beds.
• Performs general maintenance and manual tasks: cuts grass, digs, clears snow, rakes leaves, and performs other maintenance work.
• Conducts unskilled labor duties: digs holes, trenches, and other excavations; shovels materials; levels areas; maintains recreational areas, athletic fields, parks, and playgrounds; lines playing fields; plants and trims shrubs and small trees.
• Repairs and maintains fences, swings, slides, and other playground equipment; performs painting and general maintenance.
• Cleans grounds, parking lots, and recreational areas; removes litter, debris, snow, and ice using manual or small powered equipment; spreads sand on icy areas.
• Assists other personnel with tasks; loads and unloads materials.
• Performs all other assigned duties.

Requirements

• Ability to receive and interpret written and oral instructions and provide written and oral reports to supervisors.
• Ability to use tools of the trade in a workmanlike manner.
• Good health, dependability, and ability to perform hard physical work.
• Valid Massachusetts Class D driver’s license with a safe driving record.

Work Environment

Work requires agility and physical strength, ability to function in close quarters, and exposure to outside environmental conditions, including wet, hot, and cold weather. Worker is subject to noise, vibrations, hazards, and atmospheric conditions such as fumes, dust, and air contaminants. Work involves moving in, about, or over rough terrain, or standing or walking for most of the work period.

Physical and Mental Requirements

• Physical Skills: Frequently bends, crawls, sits, talks, moves about, hears, and speaks. Noise levels may be high when operating power equipment. Exposure to outside weather conditions is regular. Occasionally lifts and/or moves up to 50 pounds and greater than 50 pounds using appropriate equipment.
• Motor Skills: Uses written and oral communication; reads and interprets data, information, and documents; analyzes and solves problems; uses math and mathematical reasoning; observes and interprets situations; learns and applies new information or skills; works under deadlines with constant interruptions; interacts with staff. Requires balancing, pushing, pulling, grasping, feeling, and repetitive motion.
• Visual Skills: Requires close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Must use safety equipment to prevent injury and operate motor vehicles and heavy equipment.

Pay

$1,115.31 weekly plus benefits.

Benefits

• Union positions: benefits vary by contract (e.g., SMEU B).
• Medical insurance through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) – 80% of premium costs paid by the City.
• Dental coverage (low and high plans) through Cigna.
• Vision care through Vision Service Plan (VSP).
• Long-term disability through Sun Life.
• Group and voluntary life insurance through Boston Mutual.
• Health Care and Dependent Care flexible spending through Benefit Strategies.
• Deferred compensation plans through a choice of three vendors.
• Free, confidential services through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by E4Health.
• Annual cancer screening and wellness release.
• Somerville Retirement Pension System.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• MBTA pass program.
• Free Blue Bikes membership.
• Eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF).

Pre-Employment Requirements

• Must pass a driving history check, pre-employment drug screen, and physical.
• MA Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) clearance.
• Completion of Conflict-of-Interest Law Education training for municipal employees.