Note 9 - Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]

9.  Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans

The following table sets forth information regarding the components of net expense for the pension and other postretirement benefit plans.

	Three months ended March 31,
(In thousands)	2013			2012
Employee Pension Plan:
Interest cost	$	207		$	220
Amortization of unrecognized loss		306			263
Expected return on plan assets		(315	)		(310	)
Net employee pension expense	$	198		$	173
Outside Director Pension Plan:
Service cost	$	21		$	20
Interest cost		24			28
Amortization of unrecognized gain		(9	)		(7	)
Amortization of past service liability		9			9
Net outside director pension expense	$	45		$	50
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans:
Service cost	$	112		$	100
Interest cost		55			54
Amortization of unrecognized loss		12			10
Amortization of past service credit		(20	)		(21	)
Net other postretirement expense	$	159		$	143

The Company previously disclosed in its Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2012 that it expects to contribute $0.8 million to the Company’s Employee Pension Plan (the “Employee Pension Plan”) and $0.2 million to each of the Outside Director Pension Plan (the “Outside Director Pension Plan”) and the other post retirement benefit plans (the “Other Postretirement Benefit Plans”) during the year ending December 31, 2013. As of March 31, 2013, the Company has contributed $159,000 to the Employee Pension Plan, $22,000 to the Outside Director Pension Plan and $13,000 to the Other Postretirement Benefit Plans. As of March 31, 2013, the Company has not revised its expected contributions for the year ending December 31, 2012.