LOS ANGELES: Unionised journalists at the Los Angeles Times walked off the job on Friday for the first time in the paper’s 142-year history, after management said it planned significant job cuts to help plug a gaping financial hole.

Scores of employees gathered at a park in downtown Los Angeles to protest what they said were “obscene and unsustainable” contract changes being pushed on staff at the storied outlet in America’s second-biggest city.

Others based in California state capital Sacramento and in Washington also downed pens, labour leaders said. “The changes to our contract that management is trying to pressure us into accepting are obscene and unsustainable,” said Brian Contreras of the Los Angeles Times Guild.

“If management thinks our financial situation is untenable, they need to come to the bargaining table in good faith and work out a buyout plan with us.” Contreras said at least 90 per cent of guild members were participating in the walkout. The action came the day after managers at the troubled paper said widening losses meant substantial job losses were unavoidable.

“We need to reduce our operating budget going into this year and anticipate layoffs,” Times spokeswoman Hillary Manning said.

“The hardest decisions to make are those that impact our employees, and we do not come to any such decisions lightly. “We are continuing to review the revenue projections for this year and taking a very careful look at expenses and what our organization can support.” No official number was put on the planned job cuts, but reports said it could be at least 100 journalists — around a fifth of the newsroom.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2024