Baggage handlers and maintenance workers at American Airlines were granted certification Tuesday in a class action suit claiming the company programmed its time clocks to round down and reduce the amount of time employees are credited with working.

The company's timekeeping system credits workers for the period of time they are scheduled to work, but the system cuts off pay for those who put in a longer shift than scheduled, according to the suit. The suit claims violations of New Jersey's Wage and Hour Law on behalf of American employees at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Chief Judge Jose Linares granted the plaintiffs' motion to certify three subclasses of American employees who claimed they were denied full compensation for work performed. The subclasses were for those who claimed they were not paid for work performed before and after their scheduled shifts, while on the clock; during unpaid meal periods; and before clocking in or after clocking out.