A Pennsylvania credit union member filed a class action suit andlaunched a petition on Change.org aimed at preventing McDonaldsrestaurants from paying their employees only with fee-ladenreloadable payroll cards.

Natalie Gunshannon's petition is addressed to the CEO and otherMcDonalds' executives. As of Thursday morning, the petitionhad 291,260 signatures, less than 10,000 from its 300,000 goal.

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Gunshannon, a Dallas Township, Pa., resident said in her petitionthat she approached the franchise owners to ask if they would payher through direct deposit into her credit union account but saidshe was told they only way she could be paid was through a payrollcard issued by JP Morgan Chase that carried significant fees.

She noted that her credit union account and debit card did notcarry fees.

“These cards come with a lot of fees: from fees for cashwithdrawals to balance inquiries to lost or stolen cards tooverdrafts and even inactivity fees,” Gunshannon wrote in thepetition.

“The federal government has helped reduce fees on credit anddebit cards that most consumers use, but those protections don'tapply to the kinds of cards companies like McDonald's are using topay employees,” the petition said.

“In the end, I feared that once all of the fees from getting myown hard-earned wages through this card were taken out, my paywould go below minimum wage,” she said.

Gunshannon wrote that she left the McDonald's “not because Ididn't like the people, but because I think it's only fair I getpaid for all of my work there.”

She also has since filed a class action lawsuit against thefranchise owners, the Albert and Carol Mueller Limited Partnershipwhich has forced the company to abandon the practice, according tomedia reports.

The partnership owns 16 McDonald's restaurants in northeasternPennsylvania.

“An important part of our value system has always been toprovide our employees with convenient, free and immediate access totheir pay,” Christina Mueller-Curran, spokeswoman for thefranchisee, said in a statement.

“By expanding the options our employees have to receive theirwages they will be better able to meet their individual financialneeds and preferences.”

The partnership has not yet returned calls for additionalcomment, but McDonald's said its policy in the restaurants itoperates is to offer more than one payment option.

“McDonald's and our independent franchisees value thecontributions that each of our employees makes every day in therestaurants,” the restaurant chain said through a spokesman.

“As part of its wage payment program, McDonald's offerselectronic payment options in the form of pay cards or directdeposit to employees. The choices McDonald's provides its employeesinclude several ways for them to receive their pay withoutincurring fees.” But the company also noted that “In restaurantsoperated by independent franchisees, the franchisees determine thepayment options for their employees.”

Despite the change in policy, Gunshannon said the petition willcontinue because she said the practice of both forcing employees toaccept payment through payroll cards and then charging fees for thecards appears to be spreading, in her view, adding that she hasheard of employees facing the same issue in Milwaukee, Wis.

The case also appears likely to continue in court as well as thelawyer in the case has told media outlets that he wants to explorethe relationship between the partnership and JP Morgan Chase andfind out if the partnership was getting paid for adding employeesonto the cards.