Assemblyman Santabarbara is calling for a collaborative effort to end the pension crisis that former St. Clare's hospital employees in Schenectady are now facing. Following the termination of the St. Clare’s retirement plan managed by the Roman Catholic Diocese former employees were notified that they will receive no retirement benefits.

"My office has received a number of emails, telephone calls and messages asking for help and I'm committed to doing just that. We cannot let these employees be left out in the cold like this," Santabarbara said. "It's simply unacceptable."

Earlier this year, Santabarbara's office met with former employees of St. Clare’s Corporation at a meeting to discuss the matter and he recently spoke with members of the Schenectady County Legislature to seek assistance in finding a solution. Santabarbara is now calling on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, the State of New York and other community stakeholders to come together and "do the right thing". 

“The hardworking men and women of St. Clare’s Hospital that dedicated years of their lives to the health of our community deserve nothing less than the full restoration of the pension benefits they are entitled to. These retirement benefits were not only a commitment, but a promise that many planned their futures around," Santabarbara added. "It’s simply a matter of doing the right thing."