Pension and Other Postretirement Employee Benefits

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

General Discussion Of Pension And Other Postretirement Benefits [Abstract]

Pension and Other Postretirement Employee Benefits

NOTE 15. PENSION AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

The following tables detail the components of net periodic cost (benefit) of our pension plans and other postretirement employee benefits (OPEB):


	Three Months Ended September 30,
	Pension						OPEB
(in thousands)	2019			2018			2019			2018
Service cost	$	1,942		$	2,181		$	93		$	99
Interest cost		4,618			4,344			397			391
Expected return on plan assets		(5,548	)		(5,095	)		—			—
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)		52			46			(2,211	)		(2,219	)
Amortization of actuarial loss		3,374			4,148			253			327
Net periodic cost (benefit)	$	4,438		$	5,624		$	(1,468	)	$	(1,402	)

	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	Pension						OPEB
(Dollars in thousands)	2019			2018			2019			2018
Service cost	$	5,825		$	6,272		$	278		$	242
Interest cost		13,849			12,648			1,191			1,091
Expected return on plan assets		(16,643	)		(14,938	)		—			—
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)		158			139			(6,633	)		(6,658	)
Amortization of actuarial loss		10,122			12,442			760			983
Net periodic cost (benefit)	$	13,311		$	16,563		$	(4,404	)	$	(4,342	)

During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, funding of pension and other postretirement employee benefit plans was $4.6 million and $56.0 million, respectively. $52.1 million of qualified pension benefit contributions during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 were designated for and included as deductions on our 2017 income tax return which allowed us to deduct those payments at a higher rate.