The State Supreme Court in Schenectady heard from former employees of St. Clare’s Hospital Thursday, who are fighting to get the pensions they were promised.

It’s been six years since the pension for 1,100 employees at the hospital was wiped out.

The pension fund, which had been managed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, did not have guarantee insurance, which is coverage that would have protected the money.

The outcome of the hearing could lead to a trial.

As the arguments continue, pensioners, who feel they were robbed of their retirement savings, are listening in.

“We’re getting older and older, and we only have a few years left,” said Mary Hunter, a St. Clare’s Pensioner.

We want to go to jury. We want the facts to come out. We want (Bishop) Scharfenberger to be questioned,” said Nancy Hunter, one of the pensioners. “We know the facts are there, that we’re in the right, and we’re going to pursue it ’til the end.”

“I’m looking at all the years that the diocese is putting resources into legal fees. I can’t even imagine what that costs,” added Martha Paraszczak. “I just want them to know, we’re in it to win it. We’re not going away.”

“What we really want for the last six years is to get a day in court, so we can get a final resolution of the claims in the case,” added Louis Lopez, an AARP attorney.

A decision was not expected Thursday. A status conference is being requested, so a trial date can be set.