Employee Benefit Plans

The Company sponsors defined benefit pension plans principally for salaried, management personnel. For employees hired prior to January 1, 2003, the plans provide eligible employees with retirement benefits based predominantly on years of service and compensation rates near retirement. For employees hired in 2003 or thereafter, benefits are determined based on a cash balance formula, which provides benefits by utilizing interest and pay credits based upon age, service and compensation.

In addition to these plans, the Company sponsors a post-retirement medical plan and a life insurance plan that provide certain benefits to full-time, salaried, management employees, hired prior to January 1, 2003, upon their retirement if certain eligibility requirements are met. Eligible retirees who are age 65 years or older (Medicare-eligible) are covered by a health reimbursement arrangement, which is an employer-funded account that can be used for reimbursement of eligible medical expenses. Eligible retirees younger than 65 years (non-Medicare eligible) are covered by a self-insured program partially funded by participating retirees. The life insurance plan is non-contributory.

The Company engages independent actuaries to compute the amounts of liabilities and expenses relating to these plans subject to the assumptions that the Company determines are appropriate based on historical trends, current market rates and future projections. These amounts are reviewed by management. The following table describes the components of expense / (income) related to net benefit expense recorded in labor and fringe on the income statement.



	Pension Benefits
(Dollars in millions)	Third Quarters						Nine Months
	2017			2016			2017			2016
Service Cost	$	8		$	12		$	28		$	36
Interest Cost	23			29			69			89
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(43		)	(39		)	(128		)	(118		)
Amortization of Net Loss	10			12			31			36
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	(2	)	$	14		$	—		$	43
Special Termination Benefits - Management Workforce Reduction/Curtailment	—			—			57			—
Total Expense	$	(2	)	$	14		$	57		$	43

	Other Post-retirement Benefits
(Dollars in millions)	Third Quarters						Nine Months
	2017			2016			2017			2016
Service Cost	$	—		$	—		$	1		$	1
Interest Cost	2			3			6			9
Amortization of Net Loss	—			1			—			2
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$	2		$	4		$	7		$	12
Special Termination Benefits - Management Workforce Reduction/Curtailment	—			—			13			—
Total Expense	$	2		$	4		$	20		$	12

NOTE 6. Employee Benefit Plans, continued

As a result of the management workforce reductions in 2017, charges were incurred related to special termination benefits and curtailment costs. (For additional information regarding the management workforce reductions, see Note 1, Nature of Operations and Significant Accounting Policies.) In first quarter 2017, the Company remeasured the other post-retirement benefits obligation and recorded a curtailment loss of $13 million in restructuring charge on the income statement. The remeasurement did not have a material impact on the other post-retirement benefits obligation. In connection with this remeasurement, the effective discount rate assumption was updated to 3.59% from 3.71%.

In the second quarter of 2017, the Company remeasured the pension benefits obligation and pension plan assets and recorded a curtailment loss of $4 million in restructuring charge on the income statement. This remeasurement resulted in a decrease to the liabilities for pension benefits of approximately $86 million and a corresponding decrease to accumulated other comprehensive loss. In connection with this remeasurement, the effective discount rate assumption was updated to 3.94% from 4.08%. There were no other changes to assumptions used to value pension benefits obligation and expense.

Qualified pension plan obligations are funded in accordance with regulatory requirements and with an objective of meeting or exceeding minimum funding requirements necessary to avoid restrictions on flexibility of plan operation and benefit payments. No contributions to the Company's qualified pension plans are expected in 2017.