Unions are organizations which allow workers to band together and negotiate with their bosses for things like better wages, hours, and working conditions. This negotiation process is known as collective bargaining. In 2023, after much union organization and advocacy, Fairfax County gave collective bargaining rights to unions. Furthermore, in January of 2025, a collective bargaining agreement was signed between the FCPS school board and unions representing educational staff, such as the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, further expanding the negotiating power of the unions. As a result of these victories, the FCFT began training representatives, or stewards, at schools within the county to be defenders of the rights of school staff on a day-to-day basis.
At Hayfield, we have six stewards, with a seventh being trained. High school English teacher Cristina Cherniawski acts as a leading voice amongst the stewards. In this position, she leads the charge on advocating on behalf of staff and helps organize steward activities. These activities take a variety of forms, but they all revolve around advocating on behalf of staff. Stewards make sure those who work at Hayfield, as FCPS employees, understand their rights and ensure they are respected. Stewards also work to ensure issues staff may have are addressed and fixed. The goal is to use communication to settle disputes and ensure Hayfield is a fulfilling place to work. Stewards accomplish this by talking with staff and admin, so everyone knows their rights and what protections are in place should they need support or if someone feels their rights are being infringed upon.
“I answer questions for admin and staff about the contract, attend meetings when representation is requested, help address workplace concerns, monitor compliance with negotiated agreements and maintain communication between staff and FCFT,” Cherniawski said. “This really means I’m a problem solver and an advocate. I clarify policies and make sure everyone understands their rights and responsibilities.”
With how relatively new the steward role and collective bargaining agreement are at Hayfield, there were some growing pains as Hayfield’s stewards established their role and started working with admin. However, once they were used to the stewards and how they advocated on behalf of teachers, admin became more supportive of the increased union presence.
“Staff at all levels were trying to navigate these new rules and expectations,” Cherniawski said. “However, I think Hayfield’s admin are happy to work with us. I’ve known Mr. Carrington for years and Mrs. Lavery and Mrs. Williams have been great. Hayfield’s a great place with good culture, so most people are happy to have a third party in the room to help us all work together.”
However, this does not mean there are no disagreements with admin. Labor advocacy often requires pushing back against established rules and opposition. The role stewards fill is an important one to ensure Hayfield’s staff aren’t exploited, and that our school can function well while ensuring everyone is taken care of. In the case of conflict between staff and admin, the stewards do have the power to fight on behalf of staff. The hope is always to settle disputes through communication, but there are legal frameworks in place to escalate an issue if it becomes necessary.
“The law says I’m a “legal equal” to a boss in my role as steward. So, I’m allowed to officially investigate complaints, formally request information, etc. It’s kind of like being a lawyer,” Cherniawski said. “If I can’t get a staff member and admin to come to an agreement and I feel that the admin is breaking our contract or refusing to follow it, then I can file legal action.”
One of the successes the stewards accomplished was in the aftermath of the water damage and mold which affected the school last year. This was a major issue which affected the safety and working conditions of staff throughout the building. Hearing staff concerns about the safety of working in such an environment, the stewards worked hard to raise funds to clean up the school and repair/replace facilities like HVAC, to ensure everyone was comfortable and safe working within the school.
“Our mold campaign was a huge success,” Cherniawski said. “A lot of cleaning was done, and thousands of dollars spent to replace broken HVAC components and bring the school back into a safer level of cleanliness for everyone.”
When it comes to advocating on behalf of staff, whether their issues are major or minor, the focus is on communication. Talking with their fellow staff members is how the stewards both become aware of problems that need to be addressed, whether that be workplace issues like the mold or potential contract infringements which need to be settled with admin. Communication also helps staff become more aware of their rights and protections with the union, and establishes the stewards as trustworthy allies who can advocate on their behalf.
“I talk to people! Informal conversations, direct questions, open forum meetings. Staff will share concerns if they trust you to help them,” Cherniawski said. “I also look for patterns. If multiple staff members are raising similar questions, then it signals a broader need for advocacy.”
While Hayfield’s stewards work hard to protect our staff, there is hope to expand union representation at our school. More stewards being trained would expand the amount of support staff could receive, in addition to how quickly their grievances could be addressed.
“We have stewards on the team from across departments and that’s how we keep a pulse on what’s going on in the building,” Cherniawski said. “Ideally long term we will have at least one steward for each department, so staff always know who to go to for questions and support.”
