U.S. District Court Judge Janet Hall on Friday granted class action status to a June 2007 lawsuit that alleges AT&T violated state and federal wage and hour provisions.

The approval of class action status for the case means that as many as 200 AT&T employees could become a party to the lawsuit.

Hall’s ruling came exactly one week after she heard arguments by attorneys representing five current and former AT&T employees who claim the Texas company, which has its Connecticut headquarters in New Haven, gave them manager titles in order to avoid having to pay them overtime.

Attorneys with the New Haven law firm Littler and Mendelson tried at the Oct. 30 hearing to convince Hall the job definitions the plaintiffs’ lawyers want to include in the lawsuit are too broad.

Steven Wittels, a partner with the New York City law firm Sanford Wittels & Heisler, said the judge’s ruling shows that AT&T “has knowingly taken advantage of its employees.”

“These people have worked long hours over the years that they deserve to be paid for,” Wittels said. “It’s unAmerican for AT&T not to have paid them overtime.”

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