Employee Benefit Plans

9 Months Ended

May 31, 2012

Employee Benefit Plans [Abstract]

Employee Benefit Plans

Note 9.    Employee Benefit Plans

Employee benefits information for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2012 and 2011 is as follows:

	Qualified Pension Benefits						Non-Qualified Pension Benefits				Other Benefits
	2012			2011			2012		2011		2012			2011
Components of net periodic benefit costs for the three months ended May 31, 2012 and 2011:
Service cost	$	6,505		$	5,990		$	68	$	296	$	896		$	488
Interest cost		5,942			5,682			346		489		672			595
Expected return on plan assets		(10,004	)		(10,379	)
Prior service cost (credit) amortization		458			581			57		35		(26	)		(30	)
Actuarial loss amortization		3,809			4,138			109		246		243			182
Transition amount amortization												234			233
Net periodic benefit cost	$	6,710		$	6,012		$	580	$	1,066	$	2,019		$	1,468
Components of net periodic benefit costs for the nine months ended May 31, 2012 and 2011:
Service cost	$	19,508		$	18,924		$	209	$	935	$	1,917		$	1,329
Interest cost		17,786			16,692			1,041		1,482		1,945			1,613
Expected return on plan assets		(30,013	)		(31,334	)
Prior service cost (credit) amortization		1,374			1,745			171		105		(78	)		(92	)
Actuarial loss amortization		11,285			12,062			334		755		656			356
Transition amount amortization												702			702
Net periodic benefit cost	$	19,940		$	18,089		$	1,755	$	3,277	$	5,142		$	3,908

Employer Contributions:

Total contributions to be made during fiscal 2012, including the NCRA plan, will depend primarily on market returns on the pension plan assets and minimum funding level requirements. During the nine months ended May 31, 2012, CHS and NCRA made no contributions to the pension plans. At this time, we do not anticipate having to make a contribution for our benefit plans in fiscal 2012.