Note 7 - Employee Benefit Plans

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2013

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]

Note 7.   Employee Benefit Plans

We sponsor defined benefit pension plans covering substantially all U.S. employees.  Net periodic pension cost for the plans consisted of the following for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended June 30,
	2013			2012
Service cost	$	1,058		$	994
Interest cost		969			1,017
Expected return on plan assets		(1,205	)		(1,145	)
Amortization of prior service cost		98			100
Amortization of net (gain) loss		776			706
Net periodic benefit cost	$	1,696		$	1,672

	Six Months Ended June 30,
	2013			2012
Service cost	$	2,115		$	1,987
Interest cost		1,939			2,034
Expected return on plan assets		(2,409	)		(2,290	)
Amortization of prior service cost		195			200
Amortization of net (gain) loss		1,552			1,413
Net periodic benefit cost	$	3,392		$	3,344

The increased service costs in 2013 versus 2012 were driven primarily by higher staffing and compensation levels.

Effective July 1, 2013, we amended the Hecla Mining Company Retirement Plan (the "Hecla plan") to change the pension benefit formula and other plan provisions. The definition of pensionable compensation was changed to include an employee's base salary and other payments of compensation for services performed during the course of employment, elective deferrals not includable in the gross income of the Employee under the Internal Revenue Service Code Sections 125, 132(f)(4), 402(e)(3), 402(h), 403(b) and 457, one-half of any performance-based or annual incentive bonus, one-half of any cash safety incentive award, paid time off other than for disability leave, and compensation for overtime at the employee's regular hourly rate of pay for each hour worked. However, pensionable compensation now excludes fringe benefits, reimbursements or other expense allowances, moving expenses, health and welfare benefits, stock awards, income realized under a stock option or restricted stock or property arrangement, long term incentive awards, premium pay rates for overtime, contributions to or distributions from a nonqualified deferred compensation plan, shift or location differentials, and one-half of any performance-based or annual incentive bonus.

For new employees hired after June 30, 2013, pension benefits will be calculated based on the highest average of any five consecutive years (60 months) of pensionable compensation during the final ten years of service will be applied, instead of three consecutive years for employees hired before July 1, 2013.

Prior to July 1, 2013, we credited each participant's account annually with an amount equal to 6.0% of pensionable compensation, plus an additional 5.7% of the participant's pensionable compensation in excess of the Social Security taxable wage base ("the cash balance pay credit"). Beginning July 1, 2013, the cash balance pay credit will consist of the 6% of pensionable compensation without the 5.7% additional credit.

In addition, the Hecla plan was amended to limit access to cash balance accounts following a termination of employment prior to early or normal retirement age. Prior to the amendment, a cash balance participant could elect to receive a distribution of the vested portion of his or her account at any age following a termination of employment. This change applies only to amounts credited to a cash balance account after June 30, 2013.

For new employees hired after June 30, 2013, the cash balance pay credit will be earned based on years of plan participation: 3% for 1 through 5 years; 4.5% for 6 through 10 years; 6% after 10 years.

As of June 30, 2013, our current-year contributions to the pension plans totaled $0.7 million, and we expect to contribute an additional $0.3 million over the rest of 2013.