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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A four-year dispute between the owners of 16 local McDonald&#8217;s restaurants and its workers over the use of debit cards with steep fees is nearing its conclusion.</p><p>According to attorney Michael Cefalo, of West Pittston, the nearly 2,400 plaintiffs he represents in the class-action suit against McDonald&#8217;s reached a settlement Friday with Albert and Carol Mueller, a Clarks Summit couple who owns the 16 franchises, all in Northeastern Pennsylvania.</p><p>Cefalo said Luzerne County Judge Thomas F. Burke Jr. gave preliminary approval of the settlement on Friday, with a hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 24, in which Burke will make final decisions regarding compensation for the plaintiffs.</p><p>&#8220;I hope they feel good about it,&#8221; Cefalo said of his clients, many of whom were younger employees of the fast-food giant. &#8220;The kids won, and McDonald&#8217;s lost.&#8221;</p><p>The lawsuit against the Muellers began when the plaintiffs <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/599169/higher-court-upholds-judges-decision-in-mcdonalds-payroll-card-suit" target="_blank">alleged </a>that high fees on the debit cards they were paid with led to their hourly earnings being hampered.</p><p>Cefalo did not specify what he thinks the exact compensation for the plaintiffs will be, but he expects the counsel fees will be covered. In addition, Cefalo said last October he believed each plaintiff was entitled to about $500. This would lead to a potential total compensation of approximately $1.2 million if all plaintiffs are paid that amount.</p><p>Cefalo said the preliminary settlement brings an effective end to the lawsuit, which originally was filed in June 2013.</p><p>In <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/561829/judge-overrules-objections-moves-mcdonalds-payroll-card-lawsuit-forward" target="_blank">July 2016</a>, Burke overruled objections from the bank that issued the debit cards that the institutions were not deceptive in claiming the cards would save the employees money, despite the fees for any withdrawal.</p><p>Then, in <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/599169/higher-court-upholds-judges-decision-in-mcdonalds-payroll-card-suit" target="_blank">October 2016</a>, the state Superior Court issued an eight-page opinion saying that such debit cards do not constitute &#8220;lawful money&#8221; and cannot be considered a check.</p><p>&#8220;We made a new law,&#8221; Cefalo said in an email after that Superior Court decision. &#8220;Now the kids can get the justice they deserve.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6119 or on Twitter @PatKernan</p></shirttailMeta></div>

McDonald’s lawsuit nearing an end with settlement favoring local employees