Postretirement Benefits

Defined Benefit Plans

We provide postretirement benefits to a substantial portion of our employees and retirees. Costs associated with postretirement benefits include pension and postretirement health care expenses for employees, retirees, surviving spouses and dependents.

Generally, the pension plans are non-contributory. Our policy is to fund the pension plans in accordance with applicable U.S. and Canadian government regulations and to make additional contributions from time to time. For the three months ended January 31, 2018 and 2017, we contributed $21 million and $22 million, respectively, to our pension plans to meet regulatory funding requirements. We expect to contribute approximately $113 million to our pension plans during the remainder of 2018.

We primarily fund OPEB obligations, such as retiree medical, in accordance with the 1993 Settlement Agreement (the "1993 Settlement Agreement"), which requires us to fund a portion of the plans' annual service cost to a retiree benefit trust (the "Base Trust"). The 1993 Settlement Agreement resolved a class action lawsuit originally filed in 1992 regarding the restructuring of our then applicable retiree health care and life insurance benefits. Contributions for the three months ended January 31, 2018, and 2017, as well as anticipated contributions for the remainder of 2018, are not material.

Components of Net Periodic Benefit Expense

Net periodic benefit expense included in our Consolidated Statements of Operations, and other amounts recognized in our Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Deficit, for the quarters ended January 31 is comprised of the following:



	Three Months Ended January 31,
	Pension Benefits						Health and Life Insurance Benefits
(in millions)	2018			2017			2018			2017
Service cost for benefits earned during the period	$	2		$	2		$	1		$	1
Interest on obligation	27			27			11			12
Amortization of cumulative loss	26			29			2			6
Settlements	9			—			—			—
Contractual termination benefits	—			1			—			—
Premiums on pension insurance	2			4			—			—
Expected return on assets	(40		)	(40		)	(6		)	(6		)
Net periodic benefit expense	$	26		$	23		$	8		$	13

In the first quarter of 2018, we purchased a group annuity contract for certain retired pension plan participants resulting in a plan remeasurement. As a result, a net actuarial loss of $2 million was recognized as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive loss and pension settlement accounting expense of $9 million was recognized in SG&A expenses in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

In April 2016, we filed a qualified partial wind-up report for approval by FSCO related to the 2011 closure of our Chatham, Ontario plant. FSCO provided formal approval in January 2017. As a result of an ongoing administration review ordered in conjunction with the partial wind-up, we recognized $1 million of contractual termination charges in the first quarter of 2017.

Defined Contribution Plans and Other Contractual Arrangements

Our defined contribution plans cover a substantial portion of domestic salaried employees and certain domestic represented employees. The defined contribution plans contain a 401(k) feature and provide most participants with a matching contribution from the Company. We deposit the matching contribution annually. Many participants covered by the plans receive annual Company contributions to their retirement accounts based on an age-weighted percentage of the participant's eligible compensation for the calendar year. Defined contribution expense pursuant to these plans was $7 million and $6 million in the three months ended January 31, 2018, and 2017, respectively.

In accordance with the 1993 Settlement Agreement, an independent Retiree Supplemental Benefit Trust (the "Supplemental Trust") was established. The Supplemental Trust, and the benefits it provides to certain retirees pursuant to a certain Retiree Supplemental Benefit Program under the 1993 Settlement Agreement ("Supplemental Benefit Program"), is not part of our consolidated financial statements.

Our contingent profit sharing obligations under a certain Supplemental Benefit Trust Profit Sharing Plan ("Supplemental Benefit Trust Profit Sharing Plan") will continue until certain funding targets defined by the 1993 Settlement Agreement are met. We have recorded no profit sharing accruals based on the operating performance of the entities that are included in the determination of qualifying profits. For more information on pending arbitration regarding the Supplemental Benefit Trust Profit Sharing Plan, see Note 10, Commitments and Contingencies.