LA Times Guild to hold walkout protesting layoffs, unfair labor practices

The Los Angeles Times Guild has announced it will hold a walkout Friday in protest of layoffs and unfair labor practices.

“The management of the Los Angeles Times has announced that it intends to imminently lay off a significant number of journalists, and is asking the Guild to gut seniority protections in our union contract so they have vastly more freedom to pick whom to lay off,” the Guild said in a release. “This will greatly damage our ability to provide the accountability journalism so important to Southern California.”

The Guild said it is asking for Times management to allow them to have more say in their next executive editor, to “publicly articulate a clear head count or salary reduction they’re aiming for” and to not get rid of the seniority protections, among other action items.

“The changes to our contract that management is trying to pressure us into accepting are obscene and unsustainable,” Brian Contreras, chair of the Guild’s Unit Council, said in a statement in the release. He added that the changes are necessary for reporters to be able to have a reliable and steady job in the Los Angeles area.

“And 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 that would first articulate a clear headcount or cost saving they’re aiming for, and then seek to hit that number with as many buyouts — and as few layoffs — as possible,” Contreras continued.

The L.A. Times Guild walkout follows a recent walkoff by journalists at The Washington Post last month over issues including pay equity, pay raises, remote work policies and mental health resources.

“We’re demanding that the Post come back to the bargaining table and continue negotiating until we reach a truly fair agreement,” Sarah Kaplan, chief steward and bargaining committee member for The Washington Post Newspaper Guild, said in an emailed statement to The Hill.