St. Clair said on Thanksgiving, "retail is not a necessary service that needs to be open."
Jennifer Ann, another Target employee, also has a petition calling on Target to save Thanksgiving for employees. "Family has always been important to me and Thanksgiving is all about family," she wrote. "I love seeing family that we haven't seen in years and spending time with each other on the only day when we can all get together. Last year, it became clear to me that for some large retailers, this holiday isn't about family or being grateful at all."
In a statement, Target said its "opening time was carefully evaluated with the expectations of our guests and the needs of our business and team in mind."
While opening on Thanksgiving may be giving the customer what he or she wants, retail analyst Stacey Widlitz warned that deals will be staggered throughout the day and some shoppers may come away disappointed.
Nonetheless, "Black Friday sales are 10 percent of holiday sales," Widlitz noted. "So, if you're the first out there, you'll gain market share."
-By Justin Menza, CNBC News Writer
Questions? Comments? Email us at consumernation@cnbc.com.