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Note 7 - Pension, Postretirement and Postemployment Defined Benefit Plans
 3 Months Ended
Dec. 29, 2019
Pension Plan [Member]  
Notes to Financial Statements  
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]
7
PENSION, POSTRETIREMENT AND POSTEMPLOYMENT DEFINED BENEFIT PLANS
 
We have several noncontributory defined benefit pension plans that together cover selected employees. Benefits under the plans were generally based on salary and years of service. Effective in
2012,
substantially all benefits are frozen and only a small amount of additional benefits are being accrued. Our liability and related expense for benefits under the plans are recorded over the service period of employees based upon annual actuarial calculations. Plan funding strategies are influenced by government regulations. Plan assets consist primarily of domestic and foreign corporate equity securities, government and corporate bonds, hedge fund investments and cash.
 
In addition, we provide retiree medical and life insurance benefits under postretirement plans at several of our operating locations. The level and adjustment of participant contributions vary depending on the specific plan. In addition, St. Louis Post-Dispatch LLC, provides postemployment disability benefits to certain employee groups prior to retirement. Our liability and related expense for benefits under the postretirement plans are recorded over the service period of active employees based upon annual actuarial calculations. We accrue postemployment disability benefits when it becomes probable that such benefits will be paid and when sufficient information exists to make reasonable estimates of the amounts to be paid.
 
We use a fiscal year end measurement date for all of our pension and postretirement medical plan obligations.
 
The net periodic postretirement cost (benefit) components for our postretirement plans are as follows:
 
PENSION PLANS
  
13 Weeks Ended
  
   
December 29,
    
December 30,
  
(Thousands of Dollars)
  
2019
    
2018
  
                 
Service cost for benefits earned during the period
    
8
      
9
  
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation
    
1,231
      
1,641
  
Expected return on plan assets
    
(1,951
 )    
(2,018
 )
Amortization of net loss
    
792
      
284
  
Amortization of prior service benefit
    
(2
 )    
(25
 )
Pension benefit
    
78
      
(109
 )
 
POSTRETIREMENT MEDICAL PLANS
  
13 Weeks Ended
  
   
December 29,
    
December 30,
  
(Thousands of Dollars)
  
2019
    
2018
  
                 
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation
    
67
      
103
  
Expected return on plan assets
    
(265
 )    
(270
 )
Amortization of net gain
    
(186
 )    
(244
 )
Amortization of prior service benefit
    
(161
 )    
(181
 )
Postretirement medical benefit
    
(545
 )    
(592
 )
 
In the 
13
weeks ended
December 29, 2019
 we did
not
 contribute to our pension plans. Based on our forecast at
December 29, 2019
, we expect to make contributions of $
6,718,000
to our pension trust during the remainder of fiscal
2020.