Los Angeles Times journalists have voted to authorize a strike in a move that ratchets up the pressure on management after three long years of contract negotiations.

Eighty-five percent of members who belong to the newsrooms union and participated in the vote opted to allow the labor group to call a strike. The union, a Local of the Media Guild of the West, represents more than 200 reporters, editors, photographers, designers and others at L.A.s hometown paper. Around 98 percent of those participated in the vote.

The move only gives the union the ability to call a strike; it does not guarantee that one will take place, and no date has been set. But its a significant effort on the part of the union to apply pressure to management after an unusually long contract negotiations period. Unions tend to complain after negotiators have been at the bargaining table for one year three is something else entirely.

These negotiations have dragged on for far too long, and todays vote results show that our members are fed up, L.A. Times Guild chair Matt Hamilton, an investigative reporter at the paper, said in a statement. Now is the time for management to come to the table with a proposal that is truly fair for our members and helps restore The Times.

The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to the Los Angeles Times for comment.

More to come.