Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

Compensation And Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits

L. Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits – The components of net periodic benefit cost were as follows:

	Second quarter ended June 30,						Six months ended June 30,
Pension benefits	2020			2019			2020			2019
Service cost	$	13		$	12		$	27		$	24
Interest cost(1)		41			56			83			112
Expected return on plan assets(1)		(73	)		(82	)		(147	)		(163	)
Recognized net actuarial loss(1)		53			42			104			84
Amortization of prior service cost(1)		—			2			—			3
Curtailments(2)		1			38			4			38
Net periodic benefit cost	$	35		$	68		$	71		$	98

	Second quarter ended June 30,					Six months ended June 30,
Other postretirement benefits	2020			2019		2020			2019
Service cost	$	1		$	1	$	2		$	2
Interest cost(1)		5			10		10			18
Recognized net actuarial loss(1)		5			2		9			5
Amortization of prior service benefit(1)		(4	)		—		(7	)		—
Curtailments(2)		(2	)		—		(2	)		—
Net periodic benefit cost	$	5		$	13	$	12		$	25

⁽¹⁾ These amounts were reported in Other expenses (income), net on the accompanying Statement of Consolidated Operations (see Note Q).

⁽²⁾ These amounts were reported in Restructuring and other charges, net on the accompanying Statements of Consolidated Operations (see Note D) and of Cash Flows.

Plan Actions. In 2020, management initiated the following actions to certain pension plans:

Action #1 – In February 2020, the Company entered into a new, six-year collective bargaining agreement with the Union of Professional and Office Workers of the Alcoa Smelter of Baie-Comeau in Canada. Under the agreement, all unionized office employees that are participants in one of the Company’s defined benefit pension plans will cease accruing retirement benefits for future service effective January 1, 2021. This change will affect approximately 20 employees, who are targeted to be transitioned to a target benefit plan, where the funding risk is assumed by the employees. The Company will contribute approximately 12% of these participants’ eligible earnings to the new plan on an annual basis. Participants already collecting benefits or who terminated with a vested benefit under the defined benefit pension plan are not affected by these changes.

Action #2 – In February 2020, the Company notified all non-unionized hourly employees of Aluminerie de Deschambault, who are participants in one of the Company’s defined benefit pension plans, that they will cease accruing retirement benefits for future service effective January 1, 2021. This change will affect approximately 430 employees, who will be transitioned to a replacement plan yet to be determined, where the funding risk is assumed by the employees. The Company will contribute a certain percentage of these participants’ eligible earnings to the new plan on an annual basis. Participants already collecting benefits or who terminated with a vested benefit under the defined benefit pension plan are not affected by these changes.

Action #3 – In April 2020, as part of the Company’s portfolio review, Alcoa announced that it will curtail the remaining capacity at its Intalco smelter in Ferndale, Washington amid declining market conditions. The full curtailment is expected to be complete during the third quarter of 2020. Intalco employed approximately 700 people at the time of the announcement, and the workforce is being significantly reduced due to the curtailment. As a result, curtailment accounting was triggered in the U.S. hourly defined benefit pension and retiree life plans (3a and 3b in the below table, respectively).    

The above actions caused the respective plans to be remeasured, including an update to the discount rates used to determine the benefit obligations of the affected plans. The following table presents certain information and the financial impacts of these actions on the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements:

Action #	Number of affected plan participants	Weighted average discount rate as of December 31, 2019	Plan remeasurement date	Weighted average discount rate as of plan remeasurement date	Increase to accrued pension benefits liability		Increase to accrued other postretirement benefits liability		Curtailment charge (gain)(1)
1	~20	3.15%	January 31, 2020	2.75%	$	18	$	—	$	1
2	~430	3.20%	January 31, 2020	2.75%		28		—		2
3a	~300	3.25%	April 30, 2020	2.92%		156		—		1
3b	~600	3.75%	April 30, 2020	3.44%		—		—		(2	)
					$	202	$	—	$	2

⁽¹⁾ These amounts represent the accelerated amortization of a portion of the existing prior service cost or benefit and was reclassified from Accumulated other comprehensive loss to Restructuring and other charges, net (see Note D) on the accompanying Statement of Consolidated Operations.

Funding and Cash Flows. As permitted under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Company is deferring approximately $220 of pension contributions, primarily for the U.S. plans, from 2020 to January 1, 2021. As a result, as of June 30, 2020, Alcoa’s minimum required contribution to defined benefit pension plans in 2020 is estimated to be approximately $75, of which approximately $40 is primarily for U.S. plans and was contributed in January 2020 before CARES was enacted, and approximately $19 was contributed to non-U.S. plans during the 2020 six-month period.