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EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
 6 Months Ended
Jul. 02, 2011
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS [Abstract]  
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
NOTE 9 - EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS:

Under a defined benefit plan frozen in 1991, we offer a comprehensive post-retirement medical plan to current and certain future retirees and their spouses until they become eligible for Medicare or a Medicare Supplement Plan.  We also offer life insurance to current and certain future retirees.  Employee contributions are required as a condition of participation for both medical benefits and life insurance and our liabilities are net of these expected employee contributions.  See Note 7 "Employee Benefit Plans" to our audited consolidated financial statements in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.

The components of post-retirement benefit expense charged to operations are as follows:

   
For the
three-month periods ended
  
For the
six-month periods ended
 
(dollars in thousands)
 
July 2,
2011
  
July 3,
2010
  
July 2,
2011
  
July 3,
2010
 
              
Service cost - benefits attributed to service during the period
 $18  $23  $36  $46 
Interest cost on accumulated post-retirement benefit obligation
  106   133   212   266 
Amortization net actuarial gain
  (5)  (7)  (10)  (14)
    Total net periodic post-retirement benefit cost
 $119  $149  $238  $298 

We have an obligation under a defined benefit plan covering certain former officers and their spouses.  The component of pension expense charged to operations is as follows:

   
For the
three-month periods ended
  
For the
six-month periods ended
 
(dollars in thousands)
 
July 2,
2011
  
July 3,
2010
  
July 2,
2011
  
July 3,
2010
 
              
Interest cost on accumulated pension benefit obligation
 $8  $12  $16  $24 


Under a defined benefit pension plan frozen as of December 31, 2005, certain current and former employees of OshKosh are eligible to receive benefits.  The net periodic pension (benefit) expense associated with this pension plan and included in the statement of operations was comprised of:

   
For the
three-month periods ended
  
For the
six-month periods ended
 
(dollars in thousands)
 
July 2,
2011
  
July 3,
2010
  
July 2,
2011
  
July 3,
2010
 
              
Interest cost on accumulated pension benefit obligation
 $613  $598  $1,227  $1,196 
Expected return on assets
  (778)  (719)  (1,556)  (1,438)
Amortization of actuarial loss
  --   33   --   67 
    Total net periodic pension (benefit) expense
 $(165) $(88) $(329) $(175)