Note 7 - Employee Benefit Plans

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 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 and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018 (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,
	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

	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2019			2018
Service cost	$	3,300		$	3,756
Interest cost		4,860			4,131
Expected return on plan assets		(4,488	)		(4,902	)
Amortization of prior service cost		45			45
Amortization of net loss		3,291			2,793
Net periodic pension cost	$	7,008		$	5,823

For the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, the service cost component of net periodic pension cost is included in the same line items of our condensed consolidated financial statements as other employee compensation costs. The net expense related to all other components of net periodic pension cost of $1.2 million and $3.7 million, respectively, for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2019, and $0.7 million and $2.1 million, respectively, for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2018, is included in other (expense) income on our condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.

In May 2019, we contributed $3.6 million in common stock to our defined benefit plans, and do not expect to make additional contributions to the plans in 2019. We expect to contribute approximately $0.6 million to our unfunded supplemental executive retirement plan during 2019.