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Employee Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Plans
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Employee Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Plans

8. Employee Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Plans

For the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, net pension costs were comprised of the following:

 

     Three Months
Ended
March 31,		  
     2013     2012  
(In thousands)             

Components of Net Pension Costs

     

Service cost for benefits earned during the year

    $ 6,249      $ 5,606   

Interest cost on accumulated benefit obligation

      3,991        3,700   

Expected return on assets

      (3,751 )      (3,027 ) 

Net amortization of unrecognized amounts

     

Prior service cost

      1,560        1,498   

Actuarial loss

      1,502        1,229   
  

 

 

    

 

 

  

Net pension costs

    $ 9,551      $ 9,006   
  

 

 

    

 

 

  

 

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 $30.1 million to the pension plans in 2013.

For the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, net postretirement costs were comprised of the following:

 

     Three Months
Ended
March 31,		  
     2013     2012  
(In thousands)             

Components of Net Postretirement Costs

     

Service cost for benefits earned during the year

    $ 515      $ 464   

Interest cost on accumulated benefit obligation

      311        310   

Net amortization of unrecognized amounts

     

Prior service cost

      (106 )      (104 ) 

Actuarial loss

      134        113   
  

 

 

    

 

 

  

Net postretirement costs

    $ 854      $ 783