Note 9 - Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Notes Tables

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2020			2019
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	172,909		$	144,638
Service cost		5,334			4,401
Interest cost		5,618			6,482
Change due to mortality change		(1,521	)		(2,130	)
Change due to discount rate change		17,040			25,806
Actuarial return (loss)		121			(395	)
Benefits paid		(6,547	)		(5,893	)
Benefit obligation at end of year		192,954			172,909
Change in fair value of plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year		116,067			96,329
Actual return on plan assets		14,801			21,536
Employer contributions		23,731			4,095
Benefits paid		(6,547	)		(5,893	)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year		148,052			116,067
Underfunded status at end of year	$	(44,902	)	$	(56,842	)

Pension Benefits Recognized Balance Sheet Location [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2020			2019
Current liabilities:
Accrued benefit liability	$	(758	)	$	(622	)
Non- current pension liability:
Accrued benefit liability		(44,144	)		(56,219	)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		53,085			49,525
Net amount recognized	$	8,183		$	(7,316	)

Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2020			2019
Discount rate: net periodic pension cost		3.32	%		4.59	%
Discount rate: projected benefit obligation		2.64	%		3.32	%
Expected rate of return on plan assets		6.45	%		6.37	%
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
	2020			2019			2018
Service cost	$	5,334		$	4,401		$	5,009
Interest cost		5,618			6,482			5,508
Expected return on plan assets		(7,489	)		(5,982	)		(6,536	)
Amortization of prior service benefit		117			61			61
Amortization of net gain from earlier periods		4,652			4,389			3,726
Net periodic pension cost	$	8,232		$	9,351		$	7,768

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

	Hecla						Lucky Friday
	2020			2019			2020			2019
Cash		—	%		6	%		—	%		6	%
Large cap U.S. equities		17	%		14	%		16	%		14	%
Small cap U.S. equities		8	%		7	%		9	%		7	%
Non-U.S. equities		26	%		22	%		26	%		22	%
Fixed income		21	%		19	%		21	%		19	%
Real estate		11	%		14	%		12	%		15	%
Absolute return hedge funds		5	%		5	%		4	%		5	%
Company stock		12	%		13	%		12	%		12	%
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	$	367	$	—	$	—	$	367	$	111	$	—	$	—	$	111
Common stock		13,947		—		—		13,947		3,203		—		—		3,203
Mutual funds		69,994		—		—		69,994		15,786		—		—		15,786
Total investments in the fair value hierarchy		84,308		—		—		84,308		19,100		—		—		19,100
Investments measured at net asset value
Real estate funds								12,708								3,428
Hedge funds								5,823								1,215
Common collective funds								17,545								3,925
Total investments measured at net asset value								36,076								8,568
Total fair value	$	84,308	$	—	$	—	$	120,384	$	19,100	$	—	$	—	$	27,668

	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

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments [Table Text Block]

Year Ending December 31,	Pension Plans
2021	$	8,314
2022		8,199
2023		8,420
2024		8,661
2025		9,419
Years 2026-2030		47,269

Schedule of Net Funded Status [Table Text Block]

	December 31, 2020				December 31, 2019
	ABO Exceeds Plan Assets		Plan Assets Exceed ABO		ABO Exceeds Plan Assets		Plan Assets Exceed ABO
Projected benefit obligation	$	192,954	$	—	$	172,908	$	—
Accumulated benefit obligation		189,931		—		168,239		—
Fair value of plan assets		148,051		—		116,067		—

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

	Pension Benefits
Unamortized net (gain)/loss	$	51,660
Unamortized prior service cost		1,425