Target employees, disappointed by raises, speak out on fortune cookie controversy
CHARLESTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Employees of a Target Distribution Center in Charleston Township said they became the target of a joke one day after being informed they wouldn't get the raise they'd been hoping for.
Target officials later called a meeting at the center to apologize, saying it was unintentional.
On Wednesday, employees received fortune cookies that they opened after their shifts.
“Not one of those that I read was uplifting, positive,” said James Campbell, an employee of the distribution center.
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Some of the messages read: “I see money in your future; it is not yours though."
While News Channel 3 cameras were rolling, Campbell opened up two other fortune cookies.
"'The fortune you seek is in another cookie.' Again, not very positive," Campbell reacted. "'This cookie fell on the ground.' Why would I want to eat that?”
On Tuesday, one day before the fortune cookies were passed out, Target announced they were giving employees at all distribution centers an extra $2 per hour during a busy two-week, holiday period.
It was far less than employees deserved, Campbell said.
“And then we received the cookies a day later,” said Campbell. “It felt like a direct stab to the employees that work here, especially when I can leave, come back and make more money than I currently am. It just doesn’t quite feel right. The employees seem pretty disgruntled and disappointed by this and the fact it took the news getting involved to get any kind of apology.”
In our search for answers, a Target spokesperson told News Channel 3 they’re highly confident it was an honest mistake.
“At Target, we take our team members’ concerns seriously and we work directly with them to quickly address any issues," said Brian Harper-Tibaldo, a Target spokesperson, in an email. "We provided snacks to the team this week, including fortune cookies with pre-printed messages inside. We’ve looked into this and are confident target did not have any hand in choosing the written fortunes; they were simply the messages that came in the fortune cookies."
“Someone dropped the ball, I’m sure we'll never find out who, but definitely a big fail, and we should be treated better,” said Campbell.
During the pandemic, Harper-Tibaldo said Target has paid their employees a competitive wage and benefits.
“We’re proud of our entire Kalamazoo team and everything they do for each other and our guests," he said. "Target has a long history of investing in our team members and we offer competitive wages in all of our distribution centers. Target also has invested significantly in our front line team members over the last 18 months, including increased wages, paid leaves, bonus payouts and vaccination incentives. This included five recognition bonuses Target paid to thank team members for their work throughout the pandemic. This season, team members across our supply chain facilities will also receive an additional $2 per hour during their building’s busiest weeks.”
