The San Diego Union-Tribune is laying off 178 employees — nearly a third of its total workforce of 600 — just days after the newspaper’s $85 million sale to Los Angeles Times owner Tribune Publishing Co. was completed.

The majority of the cuts will affect employees who work to print and deliver the newspaper, such as drivers, electricians and pressroom staffers.

The sale allowed Tribune Publishing to move printing  from Mission Valley to Los Angeles and consolidate it with that of the Los Angeles Times and national publications delivered to local markets, the Union- Tribune said. Some operations employees will be able to apply for work at the Los Angeles printing plant.

The change is expected to be completed in the next month and may cause a short-term delivery disruption, but executives said the quality of printing would improve.

The Union-Tribune reported that 36 workers in advertising sales and finance, 29 employees in the circulation department and nine newsroom positions were cut. Laid off employees were given two months notice and a severance package.

The majority of the laid off newsroom employees worked for the newspaper’s cable television venture.  The sale did not include the television studio or control room.

Union-Tribune Editor Jeff Light said the layoffs would not affect readers. “For readers of the newspaper, they will notice zero impact from today’s layoffs,” he was quoted as saying.

City News Service contributed to this article.

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