The union that represents about 400 journalists at the New York Times on Wednesday blasted a move by the newspaper to abolish a whole layer of editors — while eliminating the public editor position entirely.

“The announcement that the New York Times will be offering buyouts and eliminating editors — including the public editor — is devastating to our members and grave news for the state of journalism,” said Grant Glickson, president of the NewsGuild, the Gray Lady’s single largest union.

“The Times is supposed to be a leader in our industry,” said Glickson, “and though heartened to hear they intend to invest more in reporters and content, it comes at an unfortunate cost.”

The public editor job was hatched in the wake of the Jayson Blair plagiarism scandal in 2003 to restore public trust.

Blair was a young reporter who plagiarized or made up dozens of stories over a period of several years.

Liz Spayd, the public editor since last summer, will exit on Friday, according to a memo from Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr.

In a separate 2½-page memo to staffers, Executive Editor Dean Baquet and Managing Editor Joe Kahn said the company was going to eliminate a layer of copy editors and what are known as “backfielders,” who work with journalists in shaping stories.

They will be replaced with a single group of editors.

“A new model of edition will end the distinction between backfielders and copy editors,” said Baquet and Kahn in the memo.

“One group of editors will handle all aspects of a story, with a separate set of eyes looking over their shoulders before publication,” they said.