Employee Benefit Plans

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Employee Benefit Plans [Abstract]

Employee Benefit Plans

Note 8 – Employee Benefit Plans

Pension Benefits – The Company’s defined benefit pension plan (Pension Plan) covers all active employees hired prior to April 1, 2007. Employees hired after March 31, 2007 are not eligible to participate in this plan, but do participate in a defined contribution plan that provides for a potential annual contribution in an amount at the discretion of the Company, based upon a percentage of the participants’ annual paid compensation. For each of the nine month periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company did not make cash contributions to the Pension Plan. The Company expects to make cash contributions of approximately $1.9 million over the remainder of the current year. The Company also maintains an unfunded supplemental retirement benefit plan for certain active and retired Company officers and currently pays $0.5 million in annual benefits to the retired participants.

Other Postretirement Benefits – The Company’s retirement plan other than pensions (Other Benefits Plan) covers substantially all currently eligible retired employees. Employees hired after March 31, 2007 are not eligible to participate in this plan. Coverage includes healthcare and life insurance. For each of the nine month periods ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, the Company did not make cash contributions to its Other Benefits Plan. The Company expects to make additional Other Benefits Plan cash contributions of $0.9 million over the remainder of the current year.

The following tables set forth information relating to the Company’s periodic costs (benefit) for its employee retirement benefit plans:

	(In Thousands)
	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	Three Months Ended September 30,
	2023			2022			2023			2022
Service Cost	$	388		$	591		$	98		$	200
Interest Cost		1,067			761			402			331
Expected Return on Assets		(1,466	)		(1,760	)		(771	)		(887	)
Amortization of Unrecognized Losses		164			418			(48	)		—
Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Benefit)*	$	153		$	10		$	(319	)	$	(356	)

	(In Thousands)
	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2023			2022			2023			2022
Service Cost	$	1,163		$	1,772		$	293		$	599
Interest Cost		3,202			2,282			1,206			994
Expected Return on Assets		(4,399	)		(5,281	)		(2,312	)		(2,660	)
Amortization of Unrecognized Losses		493			1,255			(143	)		—
Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Benefit)*	$	459		$	28		$	(956	)	$	(1,067	)

*Service cost is included Operations and Maintenance expense on the consolidated statements of income; all other amounts are included in Other Income (Expense), net.