Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2013

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

Operating Leases

Operating lease commitments are primarily for office space and equipment. Certain office space leases provide for rent adjustments relating to changes in real estate taxes and other operating costs.

Rental expense amounted to approximately $16 million in 2013, $18 million in 2012 and $17 million in 2011. The approximate minimum rental commitments under noncancelable leases, net of subleases, as of December 29, 2013 were as follows:

(In thousands)	Amount
2014	$	12,472
2015	10,503
2016	7,419
2017	6,976
2018	4,022
Later years	10,883
Total minimum lease payments	52,275
Less: noncancelable subleases	(8,680		)
Total minimum lease payments, net of noncancelable subleases	$	43,595

Capital Leases

Future minimum lease payments for all capital leases, and the present value of the minimum lease payments as of December 29, 2013, were as follows:

(In thousands)	Amount
2014	$	573
2015	552
2016	552
2017	552
2018	552
Later years	7,245
Total minimum lease payments	10,026
Less: imputed interest	(3,290		)
Present value of net minimum lease payments including current maturities	$	6,736

Restricted Cash

We were required to maintain $28.1 million of restricted cash as of December 29, 2013 and $24.3 million as of December 30, 2012, primarily related to certain collateral requirements, for obligations under our workers’ compensation programs. These collateral requirements were previously supported by letters of credit under a revolving credit facility that was replaced in June 2011. Restricted cash is included in “Miscellaneous assets” in our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Other

We are involved in various legal actions incidental to our business that are now pending against us. These actions are generally for amounts greatly in excess of the payments, if any, that may be required to be made. It is the opinion of management after reviewing these actions with our legal counsel that the ultimate liability that might result from these actions would not have a material adverse effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

In September 2013, we received a notice and demand for payment in the amount of approximately $26 million from the Newspaper and Mail Deliverers - Publishers’ Pension Fund. We participate in the fund, which covers drivers employed by the New York Times. City & Suburban, a retail and newsstand distribution subsidiary and the largest contributor to the fund, ceased operations in 2009. The fund claims that The New York Times Company partially withdrew from the fund in the plan years ending May 31, 2013 and 2012, as a result of a more than 70% decline in contribution base units. We disagree with the plan determination and are disputing the claim vigorously. We do not believe that a loss is probable on this matter and have not recorded a loss contingency for the period ended December 29, 2013.