Note 7 - Employee Benefit Plans

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2019

Notes to Financial Statements

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

months ended

March 

31,

2019

and

2018

(in thousands):

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2019			2018
Service cost	$	1,100		$	1,252
Interest cost		1,620			1,377
Expected return on plan assets		(1,496	)		(1,634	)
Amortization of prior service cost		15			15
Amortization of net loss		1,097			931
Net periodic pension cost	$	2,336		$	1,941

The service cost component of net periodic benefit cost is included in the same line items of our condensed consolidated financial statements as other employee compensation costs, and the net expense for the

three

months ended

March 

31,

2019

and

2018

of

$1.2

million and

$0.7

million, respectively, related to all other components of net periodic pension cost is included in other (expense) income on our condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive (loss) income.

We expect to contribute

$2.2

million in cash or shares of our common stock to our defined benefit plans in

2019.

We expect to contribute approximately

$0.6

million to our unfunded supplemental executive retirement plan during

2019.