Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 27, 2014

Employee Benefit Plans [Abstract]

Schedule of defined benefit plans disclosure

The following tables provide a reconciliation of the changes in the benefit obligations and the fair value of the plan assets for fiscal 2014 and 2013 and a statement of the funded status for both years. Under the Partnership’s cash balance defined benefit pension plan, the accumulated benefit obligation and the projected benefit obligation are the same.

	Pension Benefits						Retiree Health and Life Benefits
	2014			2013			2014			2013
Reconciliation of benefit obligations:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	148,631		$	165,906		$	17,754		$	20,232
Service cost		—			—			5			8
Interest cost		5,774			5,229			640			586
Actuarial loss (gain)		8,459			(11,446	)		(278	)		(1,784	)
Lump sum benefits paid		(5,401	)		(3,155	)		—			—
Ordinary benefits paid		(7,627	)		(7,903	)		(1,167	)		(1,288	)
Benefit obligation at end of year	$	149,836		$	148,631		$	16,954		$	17,754
Reconciliation of fair value of plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	120,776		$	133,873		$	—		$	—
Actual return on plan assets		10,023			(2,039	)		—			—
Employer contributions		—			—			1,167			1,288
Lump sum benefits paid		(5,401	)		(3,155	)		—			—
Ordinary benefits paid		(7,627	)		(7,903	)		(1,167	)		(1,288	)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	117,771		$	120,776		$	—		$	—
Funded status:
Funded status at end of year	$	(32,065	)	$	(27,855	)	$	(16,954	)	$	(17,754	)
Amounts recognized in consolidated balance sheets consist of:
Net amount recognized at end of year	$	(32,065	)	$	(27,855	)	$	(16,954	)	$	(17,754	)
Less: Current portion		—			—			1,276			1,427
Non-current benefit liability	$	(32,065	)	$	(27,855	)	$	(15,678	)	$	(16,327	)
Amounts not yet recognized in net periodic benefit cost and included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss):
Actuarial net (loss) gain	$	(49,034	)	$	(49,986	)	$	3,780		$	3,683
Prior service credits		—			—			889			1,379
Net amount recognized in accumulated other comprehensive
(loss) income	$	(49,034	)	$	(49,986	)	$	4,669		$	5,062

Percentage allocation of plan assets

The following table presents the actual allocation of assets held in trust as of:

	September 27, 2014			September 28, 2013
Fixed income securities		85	%		85	%
Equity securities		15	%		15	%
		100	%		100	%

Schedule of measurement of partnership's pension plan assets by category

The following table describes the measurement of the Partnership’s pension plan assets by asset category as of:

	September 27, 2014		September 28, 2013
Short term investments (1)	$	1,500	$	1,516
Equity securities: (1) (2)
Domestic		6,370		11,780
International		10,916		5,959
Fixed income securities (1) (3)		98,985		101,521
	$	117,771	$	120,776

(1) Includes funds which are not publicly traded and are valued at the net asset value of the units provided by the fund issuer.

(2) Includes funds which invest primarily in a diversified portfolio of publicly traded U.S. and Non-U.S. common stock.

(3) Includes funds which invest primarily in publicly traded and non-publicly traded, investment grade corporate bonds, U.S. government bonds and asset-backed securities.

Schedule of expected benefit payments

There are no projected minimum funding requirements under the Partnership’s defined benefit pension plan for fiscal 2015. Estimated future benefit payments for both pension and retiree health and life benefits are as follows:

Fiscal Year	Pension Benefits		Retiree Health and Life Benefits
2015	$	32,316	$	1,276
2016		12,632		1,202
2017		11,194		1,122
2018		11,317		1,048
2019		10,244		972
2020 through 2024		45,032		3,599

Schedule of net benefit costs

The following table provides the components of net periodic benefit costs included in operating expenses for fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012:

	Pension Benefits									Retiree Health and Life Benefits
	2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
Service cost	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	5		$	8		$	7
Interest cost		5,774			5,229			6,311			640			586			802
Expected return on plan assets		(5,102	)		(5,281	)		(5,665	)		—			—			—
Amortization of prior service credit		—			—			—			(490	)		(490	)		(490	)
Recognized net actuarial loss		4,492			5,285			5,271			(181	)		—			—
Net periodic benefit costs	$	5,164		$	5,233		$	5,917		$	(26	)	$	104		$	319

Schedule of assumptions used

The assumptions used in the measurement of the Partnership’s benefit obligations as of September 27, 2014 and September 28, 2013 are shown in the following table:

	Pension Benefits						Retiree Health and Life Benefits
	2014			2013			2014			2013
Weighted-average discount rate		3.875	%		4.375	%		3.500	%		3.750	%
Average rate of compensation increase		n/a			n/a			n/a			n/a
Health care cost trend		n/a			n/a			7.120	%		7.330	%

The assumptions used in the measurement of net periodic pension benefit and postretirement benefit costs for fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012 are shown in the following table:

	Pension Benefits									Retiree Health and Life Benefits
	2014			2013			2012			2014			2013			2012
Weighted-average discount rate		4.375	%		3.500	%		4.375	%		3.750	%		3.000	%		4.000	%
Average rate of compensation increase		n/a			n/a			n/a			n/a			n/a			n/a
Weighted-average expected long- term rate of return on plan assets		4.900	%		4.500	%		4.800	%		n/a			n/a			n/a
Health care cost trend		n/a			n/a			n/a			7.330	%		7.530	%		7.740	%

Total contributions made to multiemployer pension plans

While no multiemployer pension plan that the Partnership contributed to is individually significant to the Partnership, the table below discloses the three largest MEPPs to which the Partnership contributes. The financial health of a MEPP is indicated by the zone status, as defined by the PPA, which represents the funded status of the plan as certified by the plan’s actuary. Plans in the red zone are less than 65% funded, the yellow zone are between 65% and 80% funded, and green zone are at least 80% funded. Total contributions made by the Partnership to multiemployer pension plans for the fiscal year ended September 27, 2014 are shown below and reflect contributions made from the Inergy Propane Acquisition Date.

	EIN/Pension Plan Number	PPA Zone Status		FIP/RP Status	Contributions						Contributions greater than 5% of Total Plan Contributions	Expiration date of CBA
Pension Fund		2014	2013		2014		2013		2012
New England Teamsters & Trucking Industry Pension Fund	04-6372430	Red (a)	Red (a)	Implemented	$	616	$	562	$	30	No	April 2016 - March 2017
Local 282 Pension Trust Fund	11-6245313	Green (b)	Green (b)	n/a		336		284		66	No	July 2019
Teamsters Industrial Employees Pension Fund	22-6099363	Red (c)	Red (c)	Implemented		185		179		15	No	June 2017
Other (d)						31		137		48	No	n/a
					$	1,168	$	1,162	$	159

(a) Based on most recent available valuation information for plan years ended September 2013.

(b) Based on most recent available valuation information for plan years ended February 2014.

(c) Based on most recent available valuation information for plan years ended December 2013.

(d) Includes the MEPPs from which the Partnership withdrew in fiscal 2013.