Employee Benefit Plans And Other Postretirement Benefits

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

Employee Benefit Plans And Other Postretirement Benefits

Employee Benefit Plans And Other Postretirement Benefits

8. Employee Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefits

For the three- and six-months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, net pension costs were comprised of the following:

	Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
	2011			2010			2011			2010
(In thousands)
Components of Net Pension Costs
Service cost for benefits earned during the year	$	4,952		$	4,579		$	9,904		$	9,158
Interest cost on accumulated benefit obligation		3,368			3,023			6,736			6,045
Expected return on assets		(3,386	)		(2,802	)		(6,772	)		(5,604	)
Net amortization of unrecognized amounts		1,549			1,483			3,097			2,966
Net pension costs	$	6,483		$	6,283		$	12,965		$	12,565

The Company makes pension plan contributions that are sufficient to fund its actuarially determined costs, generally equal to the minimum amounts required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). However, from time to time the Company may make discretionary contributions in excess of the required minimum amounts. The Company expects to contribute $22.1 million to the pension plans in 2011, of which $6.0 million has been contributed through June 30, 2011.

For the three- and six-months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, net postretirement costs were comprised of the following:

	Three Months Ended June 30,					Six Months Ended June 30,
	2011		2010			2011		2010
(In thousands)
Components of Net Postretirement Costs
Service cost for benefits earned during the year	$	400	$	350		$	800	$	700
Interest cost on accumulated benefit obligation		297		283			595		565
Net amortization of unrecognized amounts		8		(19	)		16		(37	)
Net postretirement costs	$	705	$	614		$	1,411	$	1,228