11. PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS

The Company sponsors programs that provide retirement benefits to most of its employees. These programs include qualified defined benefit pension plans, nonqualified defined benefit retirement plans, a defined benefit postretirement life insurance plan and defined contribution retirement savings plans. Expenses recognized under all of these retirement plans totaled $1.4 million and $1.9 million in the thirteen weeks ended March 30, 2014 and March 31, 2013, respectively.

Net defined benefit pension and other postretirement costs included the following components:

	Thirteen Weeks Ended
	March 30, 2014					March 31, 2013
	Pension Benefits			Other Benefits		Pension Benefits			Other Benefits
	(In thousands)
Service cost	$	-		$	-	$	10		$	-
Interest cost		2,026			20		1,988			20
Estimated return on plan assets		(1,593	)		-		(1,349	)		-
Amortization of net loss (gain)		14			-		250			-
Net costs	$	447		$	20	$	899		$	20

During the thirteen weeks ended March 30, 2014, the Company contributed $1.6 million to its defined benefit plans.

The Company remeasures both plan assets and obligations on a quarterly basis.

The Company and certain retirement plans that it sponsors invest in a variety of financial instruments. Certain postretirement funds in which the Company participates hold significant amounts of mortgage-backed securities. However, none of the mortgages collateralizing these securities are considered subprime.