v3.24.1.1.u2
Employee Benefit Plans
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2024
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Employee Benefit Plans Employee Benefit Plans
We sponsor a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan and non-qualified Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans ("SERPs"). The accrual for future benefits has been frozen in our defined benefit pension plan and SERPs.

We sponsor a defined contribution plan covering substantially all non-union and certain union employees. We match a portion of employees' voluntary contributions to this plan.
Other union-represented employees are covered by defined benefit pension plans jointly sponsored by us and the union, or by union-sponsored multi-employer plans.

The components of the employee benefit plan expense consisted of the following:
 Three Months Ended 
March 31,
(in thousands)20242023
Interest cost$5,602 $5,935 
Expected return on plan assets, net of expenses(6,018)(6,306)
Amortization of actuarial loss and prior service cost5 5 
Total for defined benefit pension plan(411)(366)
SERPs234 232 
Defined contribution plan5,503 4,429 
Net periodic benefit cost$5,326 $4,295 

We contributed $0.3 million to fund current benefit payments for our SERPs during the three months ended March 31, 2024. During the remainder of 2024, we anticipate contributing an additional $1.1 million to fund the SERPs' benefit payments. We have met regulatory funding requirements for our qualified benefit pension plan and do not have a mandatory contribution in 2024.