Reliant Sued Over BlueSky Shutdown

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. (AP) – A company that shuttered two call centers in Berkeley County is being sued.

A class-action lawsuit filed Wednesday in Berkeley County Circuit Court seeks to recover three weeks of wages for former employees Carla Coble, Stephanie Laing and others. They were among nearly 400 workers laid off Friday from AB&C Group's centers in Martinsburg and Ranson.

Martinsburg Attorney David Hammer says the lawsuit seeks to protect employees in the event AB&C files for bankruptcy.

Named as defendants are AB&C, its parent company Blue Sky Brands Inc. of Delaware; and Reliant Equity Investors LLC, a Chicago corporation “that was directing the actions of AB&C.”

Calls to AB&C and Blue Sky went unanswered on Thursday. A message left with Reliant was not immediately returned.