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EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
9 Months Ended
Dec. 29, 2011
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS  
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

NOTE 9—EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

        The Company sponsors frozen non-contributory qualified and non-qualified defined benefit pension plans generally covering all employees who, prior to the freeze, were age 21 or older and had completed at least 1,000 hours of service in their first twelve months of employment, or in a calendar year ending thereafter, and who were not covered by a collective bargaining agreement. The Company also offers eligible retirees the opportunity to participate in a health plan (medical and dental). Certain employees are eligible for subsidized postretirement medical benefits. The eligibility for these benefits is based upon a participant's age and service as of January 1, 2009.

        The Company expects to make pension contributions of approximately $967,000 per quarter for a total of approximately $3,868,000 during fiscal 2012.

        Net periodic benefit cost recognized for the plans during the thirteen weeks ended December 29, 2011 and December 30, 2010 consists of the following:

 
  Pension Benefits   Other Benefits  
(In thousands)
  December 29,
2011
  December 30,
2010
  December 29,
2011
  December 30,
2010
 

Components of net periodic benefit cost:

                         

Service cost

  $ 45   $ 45   $ 37   $ 38  

Interest cost

    1,160     1,152     294     319  

Expected return on plan assets

    (1,116 )   (996 )        

Amortization of net (gain) loss

    1     (3 )        

Amortization of prior service credit

            (223 )   (216 )
                   

Net periodic benefit cost

  $ 90   $ 198   $ 108   $ 141  
                   

        Net periodic benefit cost recognized for the plans during the thirty-nine weeks ended December 29, 2011 and December 30, 2010 consists of the following:

 
  Pension Benefits   Other Benefits  
(In thousands)
  December 29,
2011
  December 30,
2010
  December 29,
2011
  December 30,
2010
 

Components of net periodic benefit cost:

                         

Service cost

  $ 135   $ 136   $ 112   $ 115  

Interest cost

    3,480     3,456     883     957  

Expected return on plan assets

    (3,349 )   (2,988 )        

Amortization of net loss

    4     148          

Amortization of prior service credit

            (668 )   (649 )
                   

Net periodic benefit cost

  $ 270   $ 752   $ 327   $ 423  
                   

        During the thirty-nine weeks ended December 29, 2011, the Company recorded additional estimated net withdrawal liabilities of approximately $147,000 related to multiemployer pension plans where it had ceased making contributions. As of December 29, 2011, the Company's recorded liability related to these collectively bargained multiemployer pension plan withdrawals, net of quarterly payments, was $3,170,000.