Note 8. Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2011			2010			2011			2010
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	76,925		$	66,813		$	1,430		$	1,295
Service cost		3,877			2,203			54			46
Interest cost		4,114			3,724			77			73
Amendments		396			—			—			—
Actuarial loss		6,476			7,907			127			40
Benefits paid		(3,893	)		(3,722	)		(17	)		(24	)
Benefit obligation at end of year		87,895			76,925			1,671			1,430
Change in fair value of plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year		70,462			64,889			—			—
Actual return (loss) on plan assets		(1,818	)		8,976			—			—
Employer contributions		331			319			17			24
Benefits paid		(3,893	)		(3,722	)		(17	)		(24	)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year		65,082			70,462			—			—
Funded status at end of year	$	(22,813	)	$	(6,463	)	$	(1,671	)	$	(1,430	)

Pension Benefits Recognized Balance Sheet Location Table Text Block

	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2011			2010			2011			2010
Other non-current assets:
Prepaid benefit costs	$	—		$	1,438		$	—		$	—
Current liabilities:
Accrued benefit liability		(330	)		(323	)		(52	)		(54	)
Other non- current liabilities:
Accrued benefit liability		(22,484	)		(7,577	)		(1,620	)		(1,375	)
Accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss		30,747			17,859			(269	)		(395	)
Net amount recognized	$	7,933		$	11,397		$	(1,941	)	$	(1,824	)

Schedule of Assumptions Used [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	2011			2010			2011			2010
Discount rate: net periodic pension cost		5.50	%		5.75	%		—	%		—	%
Discount rate: projected benefit obligation		4.75	%		5.50	%		4.75	%		5.50	%
Expected rate of return on plan assets		8.00	%		8.00	%		—	%		—	%
Rate of compensation increase		4.00	%		4.00	%		—	%		—	%

Schedule of Net Benefit Costs [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits									Other Benefits
	2011			2010			2009			2011			2010			2009
Service cost	$	3,877		$	2,203		$	2,269		$	54		$	46		$	15
Interest cost		4,114			3,724			3,661			77			73			55
Expected return on plan assets		(5,481	)		(5,041	)		(4,673	)		—			—			—
Amortization of prior service cost		403			602			602			45			53			(3	)
Amortization of net gain (loss) from earlier periods		880			867			1,232			(43	)		(46	)		(43	)
Net periodic pension cost	$	3,793		$	2,355		$	3,091		$	133		$	126		$	24

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

	Hecla						Lucky Friday
	2011			2010			2011			2010
Interest-bearing cash		1	%		3	%		1	%		3	%
Equity securities		35	%		34	%		35	%		34	%
Debt securities		43	%		39	%		44	%		39	%
Real estate		13	%		10	%		12	%		10	%
Precious metals and other		8	%		14	%		8	%		14	%
Total		100	%		100	%		100	%		100	%

Investment Policy Allocation [Table Text Block]

	Target			Minimum			Maximum
Large cap U.S. equities		10	%		7	%		13	%
Small cap U.S. equities		5	%		4	%		6	%
Non-U.S. equities		10	%		8	%		12	%
Fixed income		35	%		29	%		43	%
Real estate		15	%		12	%		18	%
Absolute return hedge funds		15	%		12	%		18	%
Real return		10	%		8	%		12	%

Fair Value Of Plan Assets By Category [Table Text Block]

	Hecla								Lucky Friday
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Interest-bearing cash	$	609	$	—	$	—	$	609	$	166	$	—	$	—	$	166
Common stock		2,071		—		—		2,071		527		—		—		527
Closely held instruments		—		2,777		13,300		16,077		—		738		3,566		4,304
Partnership/joint venture interests		—		1,836		—		1,836		—		523		—		523
Common collective funds		—		8,028		—		8,028		—		2,049		—		2,049
Mutual funds		22,667		—		—		22,667		6,225		—		—		6,225
Total fair value	$	25,347	$	12,641	$	13,300	$	51,288	$	6,918	$	3,310	$	3,566	$	13,794

	Hecla								Lucky Friday
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Interest-bearing cash	$	1,495	$	—	$	—	$	1,495	$	466	$	—	$	—	$	466
Common stock		4,460		—		—		4,460		1,135		—		—		1,135
Closely held instruments		—		3,660		12,508		16,168		—		994		3,356		4,350
Partnership/joint venture interests		—		3,360		—		3,360		—		935		—		935
Common collective funds		—		4,305		—		4,305		—		1,109		—		1,109
Mutual funds		25,882		—		—		25,882		6,797		—		—		6,797
Total fair value	$	31,837	$	11,325	$	12,508	$	55,670	$	8,398	$	3,038	$	3,356	$	14,792

Schedule of Changes in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

	Hecla		Lucky Friday
Beginning balance at December 31, 2010	$	12,508	$	3,356
Net unrealized gains on assets held at the reporting date		391		104
Purchases		401		106
Ending balance at December 31, 2011	$	13,300	$	3,566

	Hecla		Lucky Friday
Beginning balance at December 31, 2009	$	11,027	$	2,947
Net unrealized gains on assets held at the reporting date		1,237		330
Purchases		244		79
Ending balance at December 31, 2010	$	12,508	$	3,356

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments [Table Text Block]

Year Ending December 31,	Pension Plans		Other Post- Employment Benefit Plans
2012	$	4,474	$	52
2013		4,748		57
2014		4,905		63
2015		5,041		65
2016		5,343		71
Years 2017-2021		32,141		418

Schedule of Net Funded Status [Table Text Block]

	December 31, 2011				December 31, 2010
	ABO Exceeds Plan Assets		Plan Assets Exceed ABO		ABO Exceeds Plan Assets		Plan Assets Exceed ABO
Projected benefit obligation	$	87,895	$	—	$	22,655	$	54,269
Accumulated benefit obligation		81,018		—		20,578		48,857
Fair value of plan assets		65,082		—		14,755		55,707

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plan Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits		Other Benefits
Unamortized net (gain)/loss	$	28,450	$	(488	)
Unamortized prior service cost		2,297		219

Schedule of Amounts in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) to be Recognized over Next Fiscal Year [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits		Other Benefits
Amortization of net (gain)/loss	$	2,826	$	(30	)
Amortization of prior service cost		401		44