Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Notes Tables

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2017			2016
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	132,270		$	120,237
Service cost		4,786			4,309
Interest cost		5,356			5,230
Amendments		2,571			—
Change due to discount rate change		5,529			5,088
Actuarial loss (gain)		1,733			2,412
Benefits paid		(5,222	)		(5,006	)
Benefit obligation at end of year		147,023			132,270
Change in fair value of plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year		87,357			73,321
Actual return (loss) on plan assets		10,560			9,950
Employer contributions		7,227			9,092
Benefits paid		(5,222	)		(5,006	)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year		99,922			87,357
Underfunded status at end of year	$	(47,101	)	$	(44,913	)

Pension Benefits Recognized Balance Sheet Location [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2017			2016
Current liabilities:
Accrued benefit liability	$	(471	)	$	(420	)
Non- current pension liability:
Accrued benefit liability		(46,628	)		(44,491	)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		42,243			40,917
Net amount recognized	$	(4,856	)	$	(3,994	)

Schedule of Assumptions Used [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2017			2016
Discount rate: net periodic pension cost		4.14	%		4.45%
Discount rate: projected benefit obligation		3.83	%		4.14%
Expected rate of return on plan assets		6.80	%		7.20%
Rate of compensation increase: net periodic pension cost		2.00	%		2.00%
Rate of compensation increase: projected benefit obligation (1)		2.00	%	0.00%	/	2.00%

Schedule of Net Benefit Costs [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2017			2016			2015
Service cost	$	4,786		$	4,309		$	4,216
Interest cost		5,356			5,229			4,823
Expected return on plan assets		(5,849	)		(5,299	)		(5,382	)
Amortization of prior service benefit		(337	)		(337	)		(337	)
Amortization of net gain from earlier periods		4,132			4,372			4,260
Net periodic pension cost	$	8,088		$	8,274		$	7,580

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

	Hecla						Lucky Friday
	2017			2016			2017			2016
Cash		—	%		3	%		—	%		3	%
Large cap U.S. equities		19	%		18	%		18	%		17	%
Small cap U.S. equities		9	%		9	%		10	%		9	%
Non-U.S. equities		27	%		24	%		26	%		25	%
Fixed income		21	%		20	%		20	%		20	%
Real estate		14	%		13	%		15	%		13	%
Absolute return hedge funds		5	%		6	%		6	%		6	%
Company stock		5	%		7	%		5	%		7	%
Total		100	%		100	%		100	%		100	%

Investment Policy Allocation [Table Text Block]

	Target			Maximum
Large cap U.S. equities		17	%		20	%
Small cap U.S. equities		8	%		10	%
Non-U.S. equities		25	%		30	%
Fixed income		20	%		25	%
Real estate		15	%		18	%
Absolute return		5	%		7	%
Company stock/Real return		10	%		13	%

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	$	351	$	—	$	—	$	351	$	100	$	—	$	—	$	100
Common stock		3,768		—		—		3,768		1,015		—		—		1,015
Real estate		—		—		11,154		11,154		—		—		3,023		3,023
Common collective funds		—		14,802		2,301		17,103		—		4,115		601		4,716
Mutual funds		47,181		—		—		47,181		11,511		—		—		11,511
Total fair value	$	51,300	$	14,802	$	13,455	$	79,557	$	12,626	$	4,115	$	3,624	$	20,365

	Hecla								Lucky Friday
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Interest-bearing cash	$	1,924	$	—	$	—	$	1,924	$	550	$	—	$	—	$	550
Common stock		4,973		—		—		4,973		1,340		—		—		1,340
Real estate		—		—		8,974		8,974		—		—		2,389		2,389
Common collective funds		—		12,379		2,108		14,487		—		3,427		550		3,977
Mutual funds		38,326		—		—		38,326		10,417		—		—		10,417
Total fair value	$	45,223	$	12,379	$	11,082	$	68,684	$	12,307	$	3,427	$	2,939	$	18,673

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

	Hecla					Lucky Friday
	Real estate		Common collective funds			Real estate		Common collective funds
Beginning balance at January 1, 2017	$	8,974	$	2,108		$	2,389	$	550
Net unrealized gains on assets held at the reporting date		350		104			94		28
Purchases		1,830		2,108			540		550
Sales		—		(2,019	)		—		(527	)
Ending balance at December 31, 2017	$	11,154	$	2,301		$	3,023	$	601

	Hecla						Lucky Friday
	Real estate			Common collective funds			Real estate			Common collective funds
Beginning balance at January 1, 2016	$	10,326		$	4,462		$	2,856		$	1,309
Net unrealized gains on assets held at the reporting date		283			80			71			20
Purchases		333			—			90			—
Sales		(1,968	)		(2,434	)		(628	)		(779	)
Ending balance at December 31, 2016	$	8,974		$	2,108		$	2,389		$	550

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments [Table Text Block]

Year Ending December 31,	Pension Plans
2018	$	6,400
2019		6,571
2020		7,278
2021		7,404
2022		8,044
Years 2023-2027		41,589

Schedule of Net Funded Status [Table Text Block]

	December 31, 2017				December 31, 2016
	ABO Exceeds Plan Assets		Plan Assets Exceed ABO		ABO Exceeds Plan Assets		Plan Assets Exceed ABO
Projected benefit obligation	$	147,023	$	—	$	132,270	$	—
Accumulated benefit obligation		141,775		—		128,102		—
Fair value of plan assets		99,922		—		87,357		—

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

	Pension Benefits
Unamortized net (gain)/loss	$	40,579
Unamortized prior service cost	1,664

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

	Pension Benefits
Amortization of net loss	$	3,726
Amortization of prior service benefit	61