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EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
13. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS:

Unions’ Multi-Employer Pension Plans

Quanta contributes to a number of multi-employer defined benefit pension plans under the terms of collective bargaining agreements with various unions that represent certain of Quanta’s employees. Quanta’s multi-employer pension plan contribution rates generally are specified in the collective bargaining agreements (usually on an annual basis), and contributions are made to the plans on a “pay-as-you-go” basis based on its union employee payrolls. Quanta may also have additional liabilities imposed by law as a result of its participation in multi-employer defined benefit pension plans. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended by the Multi-Employer Pension Plan Amendments Act of 1980, imposes certain liabilities upon an employer who is a contributor to a multi-employer pension plan if the employer withdraws from the plan or the plan is terminated or experiences a mass withdrawal. In the fourth quarter of 2011, Quanta recorded a partial withdrawal liability of approximately $32.6 million related to the withdrawal by certain Quanta subsidiaries from the Central States, Southeast and Southwest Areas Pension Plan (Central States Plan) following an amendment to the applicable collective bargaining agreement which eliminated their obligations to contribute to the Central States Plan. See further information regarding these subsidiaries’ withdrawal from the Central States Plan in Collective Bargaining Agreements in Note 15.

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 (the PPA) also added special funding and operational rules generally applicable to plan years beginning after 2007 for multi-employer plans that are classified as “endangered,” “seriously endangered” or “critical” status based on multiple factors (including, for example, the plan’s funded percentage, cash flow position and whether it is projected to experience a minimum funding deficiency). Plans in these classifications must adopt measures to improve their funded status through a funding improvement or rehabilitation plan, as applicable, which may require additional contributions from employers (which may take the form of a surcharge on benefit contributions) and/or modifications to retiree benefits. Certain plans to which Quanta contributes or may contribute in the future are in “endangered,” “seriously endangered” or “critical” status. The amount of additional funds, if any, that Quanta may be obligated to contribute to these plans in the future cannot be estimated due to the uncertainty of the future levels of work that require the specific use of union employees covered by these plans, as well as the future contribution levels and possible surcharges on contributions applicable to these plans.

The following table summarizes plan information relating to Quanta’s participation in multi-employer defined benefit pension plans, including company contributions for the last three years, the status under the PPA of the plans and whether the plans are subject to a funding improvement or rehabilitation plan or contribution surcharges. The most recent PPA zone status available in 2012 and 2011 relates to the plan’s fiscal year-end in 2011 and 2010. Forms 5500 were not yet available for the plan years ending in 2012. The PPA zone status is based on information that Quanta received from the respective plans, as well as publicly available information on the U.S. Department of Labor website, and is certified by the plan’s actuary. Although multiple factors or tests may result in red zone or yellow zone status, plans in the red zone generally are less than 65 percent funded, plans in the yellow zone generally are less than 80 percent funded, and plans in the green zone generally are at least 80 percent funded. Under the PPA, red zone plans are classified as “critical” status, yellow zone plans are classified as “endangered” status and green zone plans are classified as neither “endangered” nor “critical” status. The “Subject to Financial Improvement/ Rehabilitation Plan” column indicates plans for which a financial improvement plan (FIP) or a rehabilitation plan (RP) is either pending or has been implemented. The last column lists the expiration dates of Quanta’s collective-bargaining agreements to which the plans are subject. Changes in annual contribution levels to these plans will vary because the number of union employees, the duration of their employment and the plans in which they participate will vary from period to period based on the number and location of projects that Quanta has ongoing at any given time and the need for union resources in connection with those projects. Total contributions made to these plans increased each year for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 primarily due to an increase in the number and size of projects that required the use of union employees during these periods. Information has been presented separately for individually significant plans and in the aggregate for all other plans.

 

    Employee
Identification
Number/
Pension Plan
Number
    PPA Zone Status     Subject to
Financial
Improve-
ment/
Reha-
bilitation
Plan
    Contributions
(in thousands)
    Surcharge
Imposed
  Expiration
Date of
Collective
Bargaining
Agreement

Fund

    2012     2011       2012     2011     2010      

National Electrical Benefit Fund

    53-0181657-001        Green        Green        No      $ 18,509      $ 9,704      $ 8,174      No   Varies through
November 2015

Pipeline Industry Pension Fund

    73-6146433-001        Green        Green        No        7,434        101        60      No   December 2012

Central Pension Fund of the IUOE & Participating Employers

    36-6052390-001        Green        Green        No        6,843        4,439        10,446      No   Varies through
January 2013

Eighth District Electrical Pension Fund

    84-6100393-001        Green        Green        No        4,415        3,533        1,917      No   Varies through
May 2015

Laborers National Pension Fund

    75-1280827-001        Green        Green        No        1,906        1,903        4,329      No   April 2013

NECA-IBEW Pension Trust

    51-6029903-001        Green        Green        No        19        6,707        5,928      No   Varies through
June 2014

Joint Pension Local Union 164 IBEW

    22-6031199-001        Yellow        Yellow        Yes        515        2,887        39      No   May 2014

IBEW Local 246 Pension Plan

    34-6582842-001        Red        Red        Yes        130        1,977        61      Yes   October 2012

Central States, Southeast, and Southwest Areas Pension Plan

    36-6044243-001        Red        Red        Yes        22        540        2,100      Yes   Varies through
April 2014

All other plans

            23,779        13,411        7,651       
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

Total

          $ 63,572      $ 45,202      $ 40,705       
         

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

     

 

Quanta’s contributions to the following plans were five percent or more of the total contributions to these plans for the periods indicated based on the Forms 5500 for these plans. Forms 5500 were not yet available for these plans for the year ending in 2012.

 

Pension Fund

   Plan Years in which
Quanta Contributions
Were Five Percent or
More of Total Plan
Contributions

NECA - IBEW Pension Trust

   2011 and 2010

Eighth District Electrical Pension Fund

   2011 and 2010

Joint Pension Local Union 164 IBEW

   2011

IBEW Local 246 Pension Plan

   2011

Laborers National Pension Fund

   2010

In addition to the contributions made to multi-employer defined benefit pension plans noted above, Quanta also contributed to multi-employer defined contribution or other benefit plans on behalf of certain union employees. Contributions to union multi-employer defined contribution or other benefit plans by Quanta were approximately $87.0 million, $46.7 million and $35.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010. Total contributions made to these plans increased each year for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 primarily due to an increase in the number and size of projects that required the use of union employees during these periods.

Quanta 401(k) Plan

Quanta maintains a 401(k) plan pursuant to which employees who are not provided retirement benefits through a collective bargaining agreement may make contributions through a payroll deduction. Quanta makes matching cash contributions of 100% of each employee’s contribution up to 3% of that employee’s salary and 50% of each employee’s contribution between 3% and 6% of such employee’s salary, up to the maximum amount permitted by law. Contributions to non-union defined contribution plans by Quanta were approximately $11.0 million, $9.5 million and $8.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.