By Natalie Korach and Sharon Knolle

The Los Angeles Times Guild staged a one-day work stoppage at both its Los Angeles and Washington D.C. offices Friday, in response to the threat of imminent layoffs of as much as one-fifth of the newsroom’s staff. It was the first such stoppage in the publication’s history, according to the union, dating back to when the paper started printing in 1881.

Some 300 union members staged a rally in front of City Hall in Los Angeles, with several carrying pre-made signs that read, “We can’t cut our way to the future,” and “LA Times Guild Against ULPs [Unfair Labor Practices].”