The Los Angeles Times editorial staff has taken the next step in its plan to unionize.

In a statement Monday, as well as in a letter to colleagues, the Los Angeles Times Organizing Committee said the group has filed with the National Labor Relations Board for an election to have the NewsGuild-CWA represent the newsroom. A vote is expected in January.

The committee has been active since October in calling for tronc Inc.-owned L.A. Times editorial staffers to join the NewsGuild, which represents journalists and media workers at the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and other organizations.

“We have a strong majority of union authorization cards from the newsroom and that number continues to grow,” the statement said. “With such substantial support, we’d like to take this opportunity to formally ask tronc to voluntarily recognize our union.”

Media and entertainment reporter Diane Haithman can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @dhaithman.