Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court April 17, 1996 (Fairneny v. Savogran Co.)

Greaney, J.

We transferred the case to this court on our own motion to decide whether the plaintiffs’ claims of wrong*470ful discharge and defamation2 are preempted by § 514 (a), 29 U.S.C. § 1144, of the Federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), 29 U.S.C. §§ 1001-1461 (1994).