Unit-Based Compensation Arrangements

3 Months Ended

Dec. 24, 2011

Unit-Based Compensation Arrangements [Abstract]

Unit-Based Compensation Arrangements

9. Unit-Based Compensation Arrangements

The Partnership recognizes compensation cost over the respective service period for employee services received in exchange for an award of equity or equity-based compensation based on the grant date fair value of the award.  The Partnership measures liability awards under an equity-based payment arrangement based on remeasurement of the award's fair value at the conclusion of each interim and annual reporting period until the date of settlement, taking into consideration the probability that the performance conditions will be satisfied.

Restricted Unit Plans. In fiscal 2000 and fiscal 2009, the Partnership adopted the Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. 2000 Restricted Unit Plan and 2009 Restricted Unit Plan (collectively, the “Restricted Unit Plans”), respectively, which authorize the issuance of Common Units to executives, managers and other employees and members of the Board of Supervisors of the Partnership. The total number of Common Units authorized for issuance under the Restricted Unit Plans was 1,906,596 as of December 24, 2011. Unless otherwise stipulated by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Supervisors on or before the grant date, restricted units issued under the Restricted Unit Plans vest over time with 25% of the Common Units vesting on each of the third and fourth anniversaries of the grant date and the remaining 50% of the Common Units vesting on the fifth anniversary of the grant date. The Restricted Unit Plans participants are not eligible to receive quarterly distributions with respect to or vote their respective restricted units until vested. Because each restricted unit represents a promise to issue a Common Unit at a future date, restricted units cannot be sold or transferred prior to vesting. The fair value of the restricted unit is established by the market price of the Common Unit on the date of grant, net of estimated future distributions during the vesting period. Restricted units are subject to forfeiture in certain circumstances as defined in the Restricted Unit Plans. Compensation expense for the unvested awards is recognized ratably over the vesting periods and is net of estimated forfeitures. 

During the three months ended December 24, 2011, the Partnership awarded 108,674 restricted units under the Restricted Unit Plans at an aggregate grant date fair value of $3,543. The following is a summary of activity for the Restricted Unit Plans for the three months ended December 24, 2011:

	Units			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Unit
Outstanding September 24, 2011		485,423		$	32.71
Awarded		108,674			32.60
Forfeited		(2,975	)		(31.82	)
Issued		(68,605	)		(30.03	)
Outstanding December 24, 2011		522,517		$	33.11

As of December 24, 2011, unrecognized compensation cost related to unvested restricted units awarded under the Restricted Unit Plans amounted to $8,567.  Compensation cost associated with unvested awards is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.8 years.  Compensation expense recognized under the Restricted Unit Plans, net of forfeitures, for the three months ended December 24, 2011 and December 25, 2010 was $1,203 and $1,332, respectively.

Long-Term Incentive Plan. The Partnership has a non-qualified, unfunded long-term incentive plan for officers and key employees (the “LTIP”) which provides for payment, in the form of cash, of an award of equity-based compensation at the end of a three-year performance period. The level of compensation earned under the LTIP is based on the market performance of the Partnership's Common Units on the basis of total return to Unitholders (“TRU”) compared to the TRU of a predetermined peer group consisting solely of other master limited partnerships, approved by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Supervisors, over the same three-year performance period.  As a result of the quarterly remeasurement of the liability for awards under the LTIP, compensation expense for the three months ended December 24, 2011 and December 25, 2010 was $589 and $856, respectively.  As of December 24, 2011 and September 24, 2011, the Partnership had a liability included within accrued employment and benefit costs (or other liabilities, as applicable) of $2,418 and $5,164, respectively, related to estimated future payments under the LTIP.