Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Notes Tables

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2019			2018
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	144,638		$	147,023
Service cost		4,401			5,009
Interest cost		6,482			5,508
Amendments					—
Change due to mortality change		(2,130	)		2,713
Change due to discount rate change		25,806			(13,716	)
Actuarial loss		(395	)		3,487
Benefits paid		(5,893	)		(5,386	)
Benefit obligation at end of year		172,909			144,638
Change in fair value of plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year		96,329			99,922
Actual (loss) return on plan assets		21,536			(8,772	)
Employer contributions		4,095			10,565
Benefits paid		(5,893	)		(5,386	)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year		116,067			96,329
Underfunded status at end of year	$	(56,842	)	$	(48,309	)

Pension Benefits Recognized Balance Sheet Location [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2019			2018
Current liabilities:
Accrued benefit liability	$	(622	)	$	(597	)
Non- current pension liability:
Accrued benefit liability		(56,219	)		(47,711	)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		49,525			46,248
Net amount recognized	$	(7,316	)	$	(2,060	)

Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2019			2018
Discount rate: net periodic pension cost		4.59	%		3.83	%
Discount rate: projected benefit obligation		3.32	%		4.59	%
Expected rate of return on plan assets		6.37	%		6.62	%
Rate of compensation increase: net periodic pension cost		2.00	%		2.00	%
Rate of compensation increase: projected benefit obligation		2.00	%		2.00	%

Schedule of Net Benefit Costs [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2019			2018			2017
Service cost	$	4,401		$	5,009		$	4,786
Interest cost		6,482			5,508			5,356
Expected return on plan assets		(5,982	)		(6,536	)		(5,849	)
Amortization of prior service benefit		61			61			(337	)
Amortization of net gain from earlier periods		4,389			3,726			4,132
Net periodic pension cost	$	9,351		$	7,768		$	8,088

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

	Hecla						Lucky Friday
	2019			2018			2019			2018
Cash		6	%		1	%		6	%		1	%
Large cap U.S. equities		14	%		15	%		14	%		15	%
Small cap U.S. equities		7	%		6	%		7	%		6	%
Non-U.S. equities		22	%		23	%		22	%		23	%
Fixed income		19	%		24	%		19	%		24	%
Real estate		14	%		15	%		15	%		17	%
Absolute return hedge funds		5	%		6	%		5	%		6	%
Company stock		13	%		10	%		12	%		8	%
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		23	%		28	%
Real estate		15	%		18	%
Absolute return		5	%		7	%
Company stock/Real return		7	%		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
Investments measured at fair value
Interest-bearing cash	$	5,709	$	—	$	—	$	5,709	$	1,441	$	—	$	—	$	1,441
Common stock		11,835		—		—		11,835		2,827		—		—		2,827
Mutual funds		46,317		—		—		46,317		10,999		—		—		10,999
Total investments in the fair value hierarchy		63,861		—		—		63,861		15,267		—		—		15,267
Investments measured at net asset value
Real estate funds								12,659								3,445
Hedge funds								4,336								1,161
Common collective funds								12,255								3,083
Total investments measured at net asset value								29,250								7,689
Total fair value	$	63,861	$	—	$	—	$	93,111	$	15,267	$	—	$	—	$	22,956

	Hecla								Lucky Friday
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Investments measured at fair value
Interest-bearing cash	$	389	$	—	$	—	$	389	$	111	$	—	$	—	$	111
Common stock		7,874		—		—		7,874		1,428		—		—		1,428
Mutual funds		43,960		—		—		43,960		10,431		—		—		10,431
Total investments in the fair value hierarchy		52,223		—		—		52,223		11,970		—		—		11,970
Investments measured at net asset value
Real estate funds								11,926								3,231
Hedge funds								4,283								1,149
Common collective funds								9,221								2,326
Total investments measured at net asset value		—		—		—		25,430		—		—		—		6,706
Total fair value	$	52,223	$	—	$	—	$	77,653	$	11,970	$	—	$	—	$	18,676

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments [Table Text Block]

Year Ending December 31,	Pension Plans
2020	$	7,383
2021		7,620
2022		8,126
2023		8,385
2024		8,624
Years 2025-2029		46,076

Schedule of Net Funded Status [Table Text Block]

	December 31, 2019				December 31, 2018
	ABO Exceeds Plan Assets		Plan Assets Exceed ABO		ABO Exceeds Plan Assets		Plan Assets Exceed ABO
Projected benefit obligation	$	172,908	$	—	$	144,637	$	—
Accumulated benefit obligation		168,239		—		140,350		—
Fair value of plan assets		116,067		—		96,329		—

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

	Pension Benefits
Unamortized net (gain)/loss	$	47,983
Unamortized prior service cost		1,542

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	$	4,652
Amortization of prior service benefit		117