Staffers at the Los Angeles Times will stage a one-day walkout on Friday after the newspaper’s management indicated that it expects to soon lay off employees as it struggles financially.

The act of protest will be the first such work stoppage in the outlet’s 143-year history, said the Guild, which represents some 400 employees.

In its statement announcing the demonstration, the Guild said that management had “insisted on negotiating” with it in “meetings that are off the record,” so it could not say “how many of its members the company wants to lay off.”

“But,” the Guild added, “it is a substantial number in a year in which journalism will play a critical role in the future of democracy.”

[Is it wise to demonstrate how much the LA Times can live without its staffers on the cusp of cutbacks? And a second thought: would the guild prefer the paper go bankrupt? No doubt this is why Kevin Merida bailed out after the first of the year. After seeing the implosion at Sports Illustrated today, perhaps the guild should rethink its strategy. — Ed]