Sunstone Way Closes Doors Amidst Gross Financial Mismanagement

PORTLAND, OR — When Sunstone Way closes its doors tomorrow, it not only failed the communities that relied on the services workers at Sunstone Way provided, but their own employees.

For months, workers represented by AFSCME Local 1790 advocated at the County and City and through bargaining to secure a continuation of their health insurance, payout of their accrued but unused PTO, severance or any kind of financial support to no avail.

Sunstone Way leadership, responsible for gross financial mismanagement, said they lack the funds but failed to provide any financial transparency.

Thanks to the advocacy of Sunstone Way workers and Local 1790, Transition Projects (TPI), an AFSCME represented shelter provider is hiring some workers from Sunstone Way into the programs TPI is taking over including the Delta Park Motel Shelter, Rockwood Bridge Shelter and Naito Village.

Because the Sunstone Way workers who are not able to secure employment with TPI are facing housing insecurity themselves, AFSCME Local 1790 is setting up a Sunstone Worker Housing Hardship Fund to provide assistance to those in need - doing what Sunstone Way leadership couldn’t do for the communities they were supposed to serve or their own employees.