Workers Respond to Closure of Sunstone Way, Call for Accountability and Investment in Frontline Workers

Workers Respond to Closure of Sunstone Way, Call for Accountability and Investment in Frontline Workers

PORTLAND, OR — With the announcement of the nonprofit’s closure last week, workers at Sunstone Way, represented by Oregon AFSCME Local 1790, are urging local government leaders to manage the transition of shelter services in a way that retains the unionized workers who provide those essential services. 

Workers say that the closure of Sunstone Way amid alleged financial mismanagement highlights the urgent need for stronger oversight, budget transparency, and most importantly, a renewed commitment to the frontline workers who make vital shelter services possible.

“Delegating services to organizations like Sunstone Way may be easier for the city and county, but it creates an environment where it is far too easy to exploit limited City and County resources,” says Joy Nicholson, a Case Manager and Local 1790 member. “If the plan is to continue contracting with these nonprofits, we must develop better transparency measures to ensure that the priority is to deliver direct services from a skilled workforce with deep cultural competency.” 

Retaining skilled, represented workers is essential to ensuring high-quality shelter services that meet the diverse needs of unhoused community members.

“Workers on the ground are the backbone of our shelter system,” says Nicholson. “When we invest in experienced, union-represented staff, we ensure better outcomes for the people these programs are meant to serve.”

In light of the managerial failures at Sunstone Way, it is imperative that local governments take a closer look at how public dollars are spent across the homeless services system. Rather than cutting services or allowing instability, the City of Portland and Multnomah County must prioritize cost-saving measures that do not undermine the service quality.

“We can reduce the reliance on expensive consultants and contractors, and bring more work in-house where possible,” says Joe Baessler, Executive Director of Oregon AFSCME. “These are practical solutions that protect public services and resources.”

Finally, the union stressed that public agencies must be more deliberate in selecting service providers.

“The City and County have a responsibility to contract with organizations that deliver high-quality services and respect their workforce,” says Baessler. “We cannot continue to award contracts to bad actors while expecting stability and accountability in the system.”

Local 1790 reaffirmed its commitment to working with public partners to ensure continuity of services for people currently served by Sunstone Way shelters, while also honoring the commitment of unionized workers who have supported these communities. 

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Oregon AFSCME Local 1790 is made up of over 2,000 behavioral health and social service workers across the state, providing critical care to Oregon’s most vulnerable communities.