BlackBerry vows to defend 'vigorously' against $20M employee lawsuit

BlackBerry has told CBC News it will defend itself "vigorously" against an employee lawsuit that claims the company denied employees termination entitlements when it transferred them to the Ford Motor Company of Canada.

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The lawsuit involves more than 300 current and former employees, and was announced Thursday in a news release by Ottawa law firm Nelligan O'Brien Payne LLP.

"We have reviewed the allegations in the lawsuit, and are confident we complied with all our obligations to our employees," BlackBerry spokeswoman Sarah McKinney wrote in an email to CBC News Friday morning.

"Therefore, we believe the case lacks merit and we will defend against it vigorously."

'Knowingly misled employees'

The notice of claim said BlackBerry arranged to transfer more than 300 employees to Ford Canada in the fall of 2016, then informed themthey had resigned once they accepted employment with the new company.

The employees were given resignation letters and stipulated their last date of employment, the suit said. The employees also lost seniority and accumulated years of service.

According to the suit, the plaintiffs are seeking $20 million in damages, saying the company "knowingly misled the employees."

None of the allegations has been proven in court.