Employee Benefit Plans and Postretirement Benefits: (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans Disclosure [Abstract]

Pension And Other Postretirement Benefits, Net Periodic Benefit Costs, Disclosure

The components of pension benefit (income) expense (including provision for executive retirement agreements) were as follows for the three and nine month periods ended September 30:



	Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
(Millions)	2014			2013			2014			2013
Benefits earned during the period	$	2.1		$	2.6		$	6.2		$	7.9
Interest cost on benefit obligation	14.7			13.1			44.2			39.4
Net actuarial loss	—			—			6.4			3.7
Amortization of prior service credit	—			—			(0.1		)	(0.1		)
Expected return on plan assets	(16.6		)	(16.8		)	(50.5		)	(50.9		)
Net periodic benefit expense (income)	$	0.2		$	(1.1	)	$	6.2		$	—

The components of postretirement benefits income were as follows for the three and nine month periods ended September 30 :



	Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
(Millions)	2014			2013			2014			2013
Interest cost on benefit obligation	$	0.4		$	0.4		$	0.9		$	1.1
Amortization of net actuarial loss	0.1			0.5			0.1			1.3
Amortization of prior service credit	(1.6		)	(2.2		)	(4.3		)	(6.9		)
Plan curtailments	—			(6.5		)	(9.5		)	(32.2		)
Net periodic benefit income	$	(1.1	)	$	(7.8	)	$	(12.8	)	$	(36.7	)

WINDSTREAM CORP 10-Q