Retirement Plans

6 Months Ended

Apr. 14, 2013

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Expense [Abstract]

Retirement Plans

RETIREMENT PLANS

Defined benefit pension plans — We sponsor a qualified defined benefit pension plan covering substantially all full-time employees hired prior to January 1, 2011. Participants will no longer accrue benefits under this plan effective December 31, 2015. We also sponsor an unfunded supplemental executive retirement plan, which provides certain employees additional pension benefits and was closed to new participants effective January 1, 2007. Benefits under both plans are based on the employees’ years of service and compensation over defined periods of employment.

Postretirement healthcare plans — We also sponsor healthcare plans that provide postretirement medical benefits to certain employees who meet minimum age and service requirements. The plans are contributory, with retiree contributions adjusted annually, and contain other cost-sharing features such as deductibles and coinsurance.

Net periodic benefit cost — The components of net periodic benefit cost in each period were as follows (in thousands):

	Quarter						Year-to-Date
	April 14, 2013			April 15, 2012			April 14, 2013			April 15, 2012
Defined benefit pension plans:
Service cost	$	2,481		$	2,175		$	5,789		$	5,075
Interest cost	5,222			5,225			12,185			12,191
Expected return on plan assets	(5,242		)	(4,612		)	(12,231		)	(10,761		)
Actuarial loss	4,116			2,864			9,604			6,683
Amortization of unrecognized prior service cost	62			100			145			233
Net periodic benefit cost	$	6,639		$	5,752		$	15,492		$	13,421
Postretirement healthcare plans:
Service cost	$	—		$	14		$	—		$	33
Interest cost	366			373			854			870
Actuarial loss	183			21			426			48
Net periodic benefit cost	$	549		$	408		$	1,280		$	951

Future cash flows — Our policy is to fund our plans at or above the minimum required by law. As of the date of our last actuarial funding valuation, there was no minimum contribution funding requirement. Details regarding fiscal 2013 contributions are as follows (in thousands):

	Defined Benefit Pension Plans		Postretirement Healthcare Plans
Net year-to-date contributions	$	6,995	$	628
Remaining estimated net contributions during fiscal 2013	$	11,400	$	800

We will continue to evaluate contributions to our funded defined benefit pension plan based on changes in pension assets as a result of asset performance in the current market and economic environment.