Employee Benefit Plans

The components of net period benefit cost for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 are as follows:



	Three Months Ended September 30, 2018
	Retirement Income Plan			National Service-Related Pension Plan			Other Post-Retirement Benefits		Superannuation			Total
Components of net periodic benefit cost:	(In thousands)
Service cost	$	8		$	20		$	—	$	43		$	71
Interest cost	354			300			5		33			692
Expected return on plan assets	(512		)	(342		)	—		(35		)	(889		)
Amortization of net loss	311			179			—		124			614
Amortization of prior service cost	—			—			—		4			4
Net pension benefit cost	$	161		$	157		$	5	$	169		$	492



	Three Months Ended September 30, 2017
	Retirement Income Plan			National Service-Related Pension Plan			Other Post-Retirement Benefits		Superannuation			Total
Components of net periodic benefit cost:	(In thousands)
Service cost	$	16		$	126		$	—	$	60		$	202
Interest cost	231			314			6		31			582
Expected return on plan assets	(439		)	(294		)	—		(44		)	(777		)
Amortization of net loss	290			144			—		—			434
Amortization of prior service cost	—			53			—		—			53
Effect of settlement	265			59			—		—			324
Net pension benefit cost	$	363		$	402		$	6	$	47		$	818



	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018
	Retirement Income Plan			National Service-Related Pension Plan			Other Post-Retirement Benefits		Superannuation			Total
Components of net periodic benefit cost:	(In thousands)
Service cost	$	23		$	59		$	—	$	173		$	255
Interest cost	1,063			899			15		86			2,063
Expected return on plan assets	(1,535		)	(1,027		)	—		(124		)	(2,686		)
Amortization of net loss	933			536			—		123			1,592
Amortization of prior service cost	—			—			—		23			23
Net pension benefit cost	$	484		$	467		$	15	$	281		$	1,247



	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017
	Retirement Income Plan			National Service-Related Pension Plan			Other Post-Retirement Benefits		Superannuation			Total
Components of net periodic benefit cost:	(In thousands)
Service cost	$	49		$	378		$	—	$	176		$	603
Interest cost	1,022			942			17		90			2,071
Expected return on plan assets	(1,317		)	(881		)	—		(130		)	(2,328		)
Amortization of net loss	1,064			492			—		—			1,556
Amortization of prior service cost	—			159			—		—			159
Effect of settlement	540			178			—		—			718
Net pension benefit cost	$	1,358		$	1,268		$	17	$	136		$	2,779

The Company expects to contribute an aggregate of $3.2 million to all plans in 2018.

Multi-Employer Plans

The Company contributes to a number of multi-employer benefit plans under the terms of collective bargaining agreements that cover union-represented employees. These plans generally provide for retirement, death, and/or termination benefits for eligible employees within the applicable collective bargaining units, based on specific eligibility/participation requirements, vesting periods, and benefit formulas. Details on multi-employer benefit plans can be found in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.

The New England Teamsters & Trucking Industry Multi-Employer Fund (Fund) was grossly underfunded in accordance with Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) funding standards and, therefore, ERISA required the Fund to develop a Rehabilitation Plan, creating a new fund that minimizes the pension withdrawal liability. As a result, current employers participating in the Fund were given the opportunity to exit the Fund and convert to a new fund. The Company took the option to exit the Fund and convert to the new fund. The Company’s portion of the unfunded liability, estimated at $13.7 million, will be repaid in equal monthly installments of approximately $38,000 over 30 years, interest free. Under the relevant U.S. GAAP standard, a participating employer withdrawing from a multi-employer plan should account for a loss contingency equal to the present value of the withdrawal liability, and amortize difference between such present value and the estimated unfunded liability through interest expense over the repayment period.