The fight for 1,100 ex-St. Clare's workers and their benefits is being taken on by the Town of Niskayuna.

"We join in their call for the state and the Roman Catholic Diocese to take swift action, and that a solution can be found and found quickly," said the town supervisor. 

This after St. Clare's employees say retirement pensions promised to them, after the merger with Ellis hospital, went from bad to worse.   

"I was still getting a statement that said you'll get this much a month, to them saying you'll get zero," said Gina Martinelli-Phainter.

The board voted to pass a resolution that calls on the state and other community stake holders to pinpoint a solution that would restore more than $50 million in pension security.

"We're obviously not passing law in the town of Nisky you know we're a just respectfuly calling on state governments to step in and intervene," said Murphy McGraw, Niskayuna councilwoman.

Martinelli-Phainter, who's among the retirees affected, says this resolution is a step in the right direction.

"We're hoping that if we make enough noise we can get them to shape up," Martinelli-Phainter said.

Statements from the Diocese, The New York State Health Department, and St. Clare's spokesmen released last week, say they are in support of finding a solution. 

The board now asking them to put there money where there mouth is.

"The sale of the Dallas care of the state was a beneficiary of nearly $2 billion, maybe if they could use some of that we can finally move on," McGraw said.

Martinelli-Phainter who is now employeed at Ellis hospital says if something is not done she looking at having to start her retirement planning all over again.

"I'm going to be working for a long time. I am not looking at early retirement anymore, I'm looking at working into my 70s possibly," Martinelli-Phainter said.