Alec Baldwin has been charged once again with involuntary manslaughter in connection to the ‘Rust’ shooting incident. This development comes as the Los Angeles Times newsroom guild leaders have called for a one-day walkout to protest the planned staff cuts aimed at offsetting significant financial losses.

The newsroom’s first union-organized work stoppage in the paper’s 142-year history is scheduled for Friday. The looming cuts are a response to the widening budget deficit, with management reportedly planning to lay off at least 100 journalists, constituting about 20% of the newsroom’s staff – the largest staff cut since the paper was owned by Tribune Co.

The proposed layoffs have caused widespread anxiety within the newsroom, particularly following the sudden departure of Executive Editor Kevin Merida last week. Merida’s exit was reportedly linked to tensions with owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, primarily over concerns that the extensive cuts would hinder the paper’s progress in strengthening its journalism.

While the company and the Guild are in discussions about the way forward, management has expressed the shared goal of preserving as many jobs as possible and maintaining coverage areas that better represent the communities served by the paper.

Soon-Shiong and other managers have sought to relax provisions in the union’s contract intended to protect senior journalists from layoffs. In exchange, the company would offer affected employees a buyout package in advance of any layoff, as part of the owner’s efforts to retain diverse staff members who have joined the paper in recent years.