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Commitments And Contingencies | 3 Months Ended
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Dec. 29, 2018
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments And Contingencies | COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Commitments We guarantee obligations of certain outside third parties, consisting primarily of leases, debt and grower loans, which are substantially collateralized by the underlying assets. The remaining terms of the underlying debt cover periods up to 10 years, and the maximum potential amount of future payments as of December 29, 2018, was $15 million. We also maintain operating leases for various types of equipment, some of which contain residual value guarantees for the market value of the underlying leased assets at the end of the term of the lease. The remaining terms of the lease maturities cover periods over the next 10 years. The maximum potential amount of the residual value guarantees is $97 million, all of which could be recoverable through various recourse provisions and an additional undeterminable recoverable amount based on the fair value of the underlying leased assets. The likelihood of material payments under these guarantees is not considered probable. At December 29, 2018, and September 29, 2018, no material liabilities for guarantees were recorded. We have cash flow assistance programs in which certain livestock suppliers participate. Under these programs, we pay an amount for livestock equivalent to a standard cost to grow such livestock during periods of low market sales prices. The amounts of such payments that are in excess of the market sales price are recorded as receivables and accrue interest. Participating suppliers are obligated to repay these receivables balances when market sales prices exceed this standard cost, or upon termination of the agreement. Our maximum commitment associated with these programs is limited to the fair value of each participating livestock supplier’s net tangible assets. The potential maximum commitment as of December 29, 2018 was approximately $300 million. The total receivables under these programs were $10 million and $6 million at December 29, 2018 and September 29, 2018, respectively. These receivables are included, net of allowance for uncollectible amounts, in Accounts Receivable in our Consolidated Condensed Balance Sheets. Even though these programs are limited to the net tangible assets of the participating livestock suppliers, we also manage a portion of our credit risk associated with these programs by obtaining security interests in livestock suppliers’ assets. After analyzing residual credit risks and general market conditions, we have no allowance for these programs’ estimated uncollectible receivables at December 29, 2018, and September 29, 2018. When constructing new facilities or making major enhancements to existing facilities, we will occasionally enter into incentive agreements with local government agencies in order to reduce certain state and local tax expenditures. Under these agreements, we transfer the related assets to various local government entities and receive Industrial Revenue Bonds. We immediately lease the facilities from the local government entities and have an option to re-purchase the facilities for a nominal amount upon tendering the Industrial Revenue Bonds to the local government entities at various predetermined dates. The Industrial Revenue Bonds and the associated obligations for the leases of the facilities offset, and the underlying assets remain in property, plant and equipment. At December 29, 2018, total amount under these types of arrangements totaled $698 million. Contingencies We are involved in various claims and legal proceedings. We routinely assess the likelihood of adverse judgments or outcomes to those matters, as well as ranges of probable losses, to the extent losses are reasonably estimable. We record accruals for such matters to the extent that we conclude a loss is probable and the financial impact, should an adverse outcome occur, is reasonably estimable. Such accruals are reflected in the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. In our opinion, we have made appropriate and adequate accruals for these matters. Unless noted otherwise below, we believe the probability of a material loss beyond the amounts accrued to be remote; however, the ultimate liability for these matters is uncertain, and if accruals are not adequate, an adverse outcome could have a material effect on the consolidated financial condition or results of operations. Listed below are certain claims made against the Company and/or our subsidiaries for which the potential exposure is considered material to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. We believe we have substantial defenses to the claims made and intend to vigorously defend these matters. On September 2, 2016, Maplevale Farms, Inc., acting on behalf of itself and a putative class of direct purchasers of poultry products, filed a class action complaint against us and certain of our poultry subsidiaries, as well as several other poultry processing companies, in the Northern District of Illinois. Subsequent to the filing of this initial complaint, additional lawsuits making similar claims on behalf of putative classes of direct and indirect purchasers were filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The court consolidated the complaints, for pre-trial purposes, into actions on behalf of three different putative classes: direct purchasers, indirect purchasers/consumers and commercial/institutional indirect purchasers. These three actions are styled In re Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation. Several amended and consolidated complaints have been filed on behalf of each putative class. The currently operative complaints allege, among other things, that beginning in January 2008 the defendants conspired and combined to fix, raise, maintain, and stabilize the price of broiler chickens in violation of United States antitrust laws. The complaints on behalf of the putative classes of indirect purchasers also include causes of action under various state unfair competition laws, consumer protection laws, and unjust enrichment common laws. The complaints also allege that defendants “manipulated and artificially inflated a widely used Broiler price index, the Georgia Dock.” It is further alleged that the defendants concealed this conduct from the plaintiffs and the members of the putative classes. The plaintiffs are seeking treble damages, injunctive relief, pre- and post-judgment interest, costs, and attorneys’ fees on behalf of the putative classes. The court issued a ruling on November 20, 2017 denying all defendants’ motions to dismiss. The litigation is currently in a discovery phase. Decisions on class certification and summary judgment motions likely to be filed by defendants are not expected before the latter part of calendar year 2020 under the scheduling order currently governing the case. Scheduling for trial, if necessary, will occur after rulings on class certification and any summary judgment motions. Certain putative class members have opted out of this matter and are proceeding separately, and others may do so in the future. On March 1, 2017, we received a civil investigative demand ("CID") from the Office of the Attorney General, Department of Legal Affairs, of the State of Florida. The CID requests information primarily related to possible anticompetitive conduct in connection with the Georgia Dock, a chicken products pricing index formerly published by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. We have been cooperating with the Attorney General’s office. On June 18, 2018, Wanda Duryea, Matthew Hosking, John McKee, Lisa Melegari, Michael Reilly, Sandra Steffan, Paul Glantz, Edwin Blakey, Jennifer Sullivan, Lisa Axelrod, Anbessa Tufa and Christina Hall, acting on behalf of themselves individually and on behalf of a putative plaintiff class consisting of all persons and entities who indirectly purchased pork, filed a class action complaint against us and certain of our pork subsidiaries, as well as several other pork processing companies, in the federal district court for the District of Minnesota. Subsequent to the filing of the initial complaint, additional lawsuits making similar claims on behalf of putative classes of direct and indirect purchasers were also filed in the same court. The complaints allege, among other things, that beginning in January 2009 the defendants conspired and combined to fix, raise, maintain, and stabilize the price of pork and pork products in violation of United States antitrust laws. The complaints on behalf of the putative classes of indirect purchasers also include causes of action under various state unfair competition laws, consumer protection laws, and unjust enrichment common laws. The plaintiffs are seeking treble damages, injunctive relief, pre- and post-judgment interest, costs, and attorneys’ fees on behalf of the putative classes. The direct purchaser actions and indirect purchaser actions have been consolidated for pretrial purposes. On October 23, 2018, defendants filed motions to dismiss the complaints. A hearing on the motions was held on January 28, 2019. Our subsidiary, The Hillshire Brands Company (formerly named Sara Lee Corporation), is a party to a consolidation of cases filed by individual complainants with the Republic of the Philippines, Department of Labor and Employment and the National Labor Relations Commission ("NLRC") from 1998 through July 1999. The complaint was filed against Aris Philippines, Inc., Sara Lee Corporation, Sara Lee Philippines, Inc., Fashion Accessories Philippines, Inc., and Attorney Cesar C. Cruz (collectively, the “respondents”). The complaint alleges, among other things, that the respondents engaged in unfair labor practices in connection with the termination of manufacturing operations in the Philippines in 1995 by Aris Philippines, Inc., a former subsidiary of The Hillshire Brands Company. In late 2004, a labor arbiter ruled against the respondents and awarded the complainants PHP 3,453,664,710 (approximately US $66 million) in damages and fees. The respondents appealed the labor arbiter's ruling, and it was subsequently set aside by the NLRC in December 2006. Subsequent to the NLRC’s decision, the parties filed numerous appeals, motions for reconsideration and petitions for review, certain of which remained outstanding for several years. While various of those appeals, motions and/or petitions were pending, The Hillshire Brands Company, on June 23, 2014, without admitting liability, filed a settlement motion requesting that the Supreme Court of the Philippines order dismissal with prejudice of all claims against it and certain other respondents in exchange for payments allocated by the court among the complainants in an amount not to exceed PHP 342,287,800 (approximately US $6.5 million). Based in part on its finding that the consideration to be paid to the complainants as part of such settlement was insufficient, the Supreme Court of the Philippines denied the respondents’ settlement motion and all motions for reconsideration thereof. The Supreme Court of the Philippines also set aside as premature the NLRC’s December 2006 ruling. As a result, the cases were remanded back before the NLRC to rule on the merits of the case. On December 15, 2016, we learned that the NLRC rendered its decision on November 29, 2016, regarding the respondents’ appeals regarding the labor arbiter’s 2004 ruling in favor of the complainants. The NLRC increased the award for 4,922 of the total 5,984 complainants to PHP 14,858,495,937 (approximately US $282 million). However, the NLRC approved a prior settlement reached with the group comprising approximately 18% of the class of 5,984 complainants, pursuant to which The Hillshire Brands Company agreed to pay each settling complainant PHP 68,000 (approximately US $1,300). The settlement payment was made on December 21, 2016, to the NLRC, which is responsible for distributing the funds to each settling complainant. On December 27, 2016, the respondents filed motions for reconsideration with the NLRC asking that the award be set aside. The NLRC denied respondents' motions for reconsideration in a resolution received on May 5, 2017, and entered a judgment on the award on July 24, 2017. Each of Aris Philippines, Inc., Sara Lee Corporation and Sara Lee Philippines, Inc. appealed this award and sought an injunction to preclude enforcement of the award to the Philippines Court of Appeals. On November 23, 2017, the Court of Appeals granted a writ of preliminary injunction that precluded execution of the NLRC award during the pendency of the appeal. The Court of Appeals subsequently vacated the NLRC’s award on April 12, 2018. Complainants have filed motions for reconsideration with the Court of Appeals. On November 14, 2018, the Court of Appeals denied claimants’ motions for reconsideration and granted defendants’ motion to release and discharge the preliminary injunction bond. Claimants have since filed petitions for writ of certiorari with the Supreme Court of the Philippines. The Supreme Court has not yet determined whether it will accept the case for review. We continue to maintain an accrual for this matter. The Hillshire Brands Company was named as a defendant in an asbestos exposure case filed by Mark Lopez in May 2014 in the Superior Court of Alameda County, California. Mr. Lopez was diagnosed with mesothelioma in January 2014 and is now deceased. Mr. Lopez’s family members asserted negligence, premises liability and strict liability claims related to Mr. Lopez’s alleged asbestos exposure from 1954-1986 from the Union Sugar plant in Betteravia, California. The plant, which was sold in 1986, was owned by entities that were predecessors-in-interest to The Hillshire Brands Company. In August 2017, the jury returned a verdict of approximately $13 million in favor of the plaintiffs, and a judgment was entered. We have appealed the judgment and all briefing has been completed.

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