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Pension and Postretirement Plans
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016
General Discussion of Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]
Pension and Postretirement Plans
The Company sponsors three noncontributory defined benefit plans and a postretirement health and life insurance plan. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, approximately 10% of the costs were capitalized as a component of property, plant and equipment related to construction of our copper and fiber networks. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, approximately 12% and 10%, respectively, of the costs were capitalized as a component of property, plant and equipment related to construction of our copper and fiber networks. During the second quarter of 2015, the bargained pension plan was amended to eliminate all future pension credits and transition benefits. As a result, we recognized a curtailment loss of $0.3 million in the three months ended June 30, 2015 and remeasured the associated pension obligation. This remeasurement resulted in a decrease of our pension liability of $1.7 million.
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, pension and postretirement benefit costs were as follows:
 
Three Months Ended September 30,
 
2016
 
2015
 
2016
 
2015
(dollars in millions)
Pension Benefits
 
Postretirement and
Other Benefits
Service cost
$
—

 
$
—

 
$
0.1

 
$
0.1

Interest cost on projected benefit obligation
4.9

 
4.8

 
0.8

 
0.8

Expected return on plan assets
(6.9
)
 
(7.3
)
 
—

 
—

Amortization of:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prior service cost (benefit)
0.1

 
—

 
(3.7
)
 
(3.9
)
Actuarial loss
4.7

 
5.2

 
1.2

 
1.4

       Total amortization
4.8

 
5.2

 
(2.5
)
 
(2.5
)
Pension / postretirement cost (benefit)
$
2.8

 
$
2.7

 
$
(1.6
)
 
$
(1.6
)

 
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
2016
 
2015
 
2016
 
2015
(dollars in millions)
Pension Benefits
 
Postretirement and
Other Benefits
Service cost
$
—

 
$
0.3

 
$
0.2

 
$
0.2

Interest cost on projected benefit obligation
14.5

 
14.3

 
2.5

 
2.5

Expected return on plan assets
(20.5
)
 
(21.8
)
 
—

 
—

Curtailment loss
—

 
0.3

 
—

 
—

Amortization of:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Prior service cost (benefit)
0.1

 
0.1

 
(11.1
)
 
(11.6
)
Actuarial loss
14.3

 
19.7

 
3.7

 
4.1

       Total amortization
14.4

 
19.8

 
(7.4
)
 
(7.5
)
Pension / postretirement cost (benefit)

$
8.4

 
$
12.9

 
$
(4.7
)
 
$
(4.8
)


Amortizations of prior service cost (benefit) and actuarial loss represent reclassifications from accumulated other comprehensive income.
Based on current assumptions, management believes that the Company will not make any contributions to the qualified pension plan in 2016. Contributions to non-qualified pension plans in 2016 are expected to be approximately $2 million. The Company expects to make cash payments of approximately $10 million related to its postretirement health plans in 2016.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, contributions to the non-qualified pension plans were $1.9 million and contributions to the postretirement plan were $5.7 million.