PENSION AND POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS

We have defined benefit retirement plans ("plans") for eligible salaried and hourly employees. Benefits are based on years of credited service and average compensation or stated amounts for each year of service. We also sponsor postretirement plans which provide certain medical and dental benefits ("other postretirement benefits") to qualifying U.S. employees.

As a result of the Spinoff, we recorded a pension curtailment gain of $19.5 million within other comprehensive income (loss) and re-measured a significant qualified pension plan as of November 9, 2016. In connection with the re-measurement, we updated the effective discount rate assumed at May 29, 2016 from 3.86% to 4.04%. The re-measurement and the curtailment gain decreased the underfunded status of the pension plans by $66.0 million with a corresponding reduction to net loss within other comprehensive income (loss) for the second quarter and first half of fiscal 2017.

Components of pension benefit and other postretirement benefit costs are (includes amounts related to discontinued operations):



	Pension Benefits
	Thirteen weeks ended						Twenty-six weeks ended
	November 27, 2016			November 29, 2015			November 27, 2016			November 29, 2015
Service cost	$	15.9		$	23.8		$	32.6		$	47.6
Interest cost	29.9			41.0			59.9			82.0
Expected return on plan assets	(53.9		)	(66.8		)	(107.7		)	(133.7		)
Amortization of prior service cost	0.7			0.7			1.3			1.4
Special termination benefits	1.5			—			1.5			—
Benefit cost — Company plans	(5.9		)	(1.3		)	(12.4		)	(2.7		)
Pension benefit cost — multi-employer plans	2.8			4.1			5.1			6.4
Total benefit cost (benefit)	$	(3.1	)	$	2.8		$	(7.3	)	$	3.7



	Postretirement Benefits
	Thirteen weeks ended						Twenty-six weeks ended
	November 27, 2016			November 29, 2015			November 27, 2016			November 29, 2015
Service cost	$	0.1		$	0.1		$	0.1		$	0.2
Interest cost	1.0			1.9			2.1			3.9
Amortization of prior service benefit	(1.6		)	(2.0		)	(3.3		)	(4.0		)
Recognized net actuarial loss	0.1			—			0.2			—
Total cost (benefit)	$	(0.4	)	$	—		$	(0.9	)	$	0.1

Beginning in fiscal 2017, the Company has elected to use a split discount rate (spot-rate approach) for the U.S. plans and certain foreign plans. Historically, a single weighted-average discount rate was used in the calculation of service and interest costs, both of which are components of pension benefit costs. The spot-rate approach applies separate discount rates for each projected benefit payment in the calculation of pension service and interest cost. This change is considered a change in accounting estimate and has been applied prospectively. The pre-tax reduction in total pension benefit cost associated with this change in the second quarter and first half of fiscal 2017 was approximately $7.4 million and $14.8 million, respectively.

The weighted-average discount rates for service and interest costs under the spot-rate approach used for pension benefit cost in fiscal 2017 were 4.14% and 3.15%, respectively. The weighted-average discount rates for service and interest costs subsequent to November 9, 2016 are 3.67% and 4.01%, respectively.

During the second quarter and first half of fiscal 2017, we contributed $2.9 million and $5.9 million respectively, to our pension plans and contributed $4.3 million and $8.8 million, respectively, to our other postretirement plans. Based upon the current funded status of the plans and the current interest rate environment, we anticipate making further contributions of approximately $6.6 million to our pension plans for the remainder of fiscal 2017. We anticipate making further contributions of $13.3 million to our other postretirement plans during the remainder of fiscal 2017. These estimates are based on ERISA guidelines, current tax laws, plan asset performance, and liability assumptions, which are subject to change.

During the second quarter of fiscal 2017, the Company provided a voluntary lump-sum settlement offer to terminated vested participants in the pension plan expiring in December 2016 in order to reduce a portion of the pension obligation. Subsequent to the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2017, $287.5 million was distributed from pension plan assets in connection with this offer.