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Pension and Post-retirement Plans:
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Pension and Post-retirement Plans:  
Pension and Post-retirement Plans:

 

 

(7)         Pension and Post-retirement Plans:  The Company has defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans that cover substantially all non-bargaining unit and certain bargaining unit employees. The Company also has unfunded non-qualified plans that provide benefits in excess of the amounts permitted to be paid under the provisions of the tax law to participants in qualified plans. The assumptions related to discount rates, expected long-term rates of return on invested plan assets, salary increases, age, mortality and health care cost trend rates, along with other factors, are used in determining the assets, liabilities and expenses associated with pension benefits. Management reviews the assumptions annually with its independent actuaries, taking into consideration existing and future economic conditions and the Company’s intentions with respect to these plans. Management believes that its assumptions and estimates for 2012 are reasonable. Different assumptions, however, could result in material changes to the assets, obligations and costs associated with benefit plans.

 

The components of net periodic benefit cost recorded for the first nine months of 2012 and 2011 were as follows (in millions):

 

 

 

Pension Benefits

 

Post-retirement Benefits

 

 

 

2012

 

2011

 

2012

 

2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Service cost

 

$

2.0

 

$

4.1

 

$

0.7

 

$

0.7

 

Interest cost

 

6.8

 

8.1

 

1.7

 

2.2

 

Expected return on plan assets

 

(8.0

)

(8.4

)

 

 

Amortization of net (gain) loss

 

6.0

 

2.9

 

1.0

 

1.5

 

Amortization of prior service cost

 

(1.3

)

 

 

0.1

 

Net periodic benefit cost

 

$

5.5

 

$

6.7

 

$

3.4

 

$

4.5

 

 

In 2012, the Company expected cash contributions to its pension plans to total approximately $13.3 million, all of which has been contributed as of September 30, 2012.