United Parcel Service, Inc. Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Company-Sponsored Benefit Plans

Information about net periodic benefit cost for our company-sponsored pension and postretirement benefit plans is as follows for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 (in millions):



	U.S. Pension Benefits						U.S. Postretirement Medical Benefits						International Pension Benefits
	2017			2016			2017			2016			2017			2016
Three Months Ended September 30:
Service cost	$	382		$	353		$	7		$	7		$	15		$	12
Interest cost	445			457			28			32			10			10
Expected return on assets	(730		)	(629		)	(2		)	(2		)	(17		)	(15		)
Amortization of prior service cost	48			41			1			1			1			—
Net periodic benefit cost	$	145		$	222		$	34		$	38		$	9		$	7

	U.S. Pension Benefits						U.S. Postretirement Medical Benefits						International Pension Benefits
	2017			2016			2017			2016			2017			2016
Nine Months Ended September 30:
Service cost	$	1,161		$	1,059		$	21		$	21		$	44		$	37
Interest cost	1,369			1,371			84			92			30			31
Expected return on assets	(2,154		)	(1,887		)	(5		)	(4		)	(49		)	(44		)
Amortization of prior service cost	144			125			5			3			1			—
Net periodic benefit cost	$	520		$	668		$	105		$	112		$	26		$	24

During the first nine months of 2017, we contributed $2.359 billion and $226 million to our company-sponsored pension and U.S. postretirement medical benefit plans, respectively. We currently expect to contribute $18 and $15 million over the remainder of the year to the pension and U.S. postretirement medical benefit plans, respectively. Subject to market conditions, we continually evaluate opportunities for additional discretionary pension contributions.

Plan Amendments and Curtailments

The UPS Retirement Plan was closed to new non-union participants effective July 1, 2016. In the quarter ended June 30, 2017, we amended the UPS Retirement Plan and the UPS Excess Coordinating Benefit Plan (single-employer defined benefit pension plans sponsored by UPS) to cease accruals of additional benefits for future service and compensation for non-union participants effective January 1, 2023. We remeasured plan assets and pension benefit obligations for the affected pension plans as of June 30, 2017, resulting in a net actuarial gain of $569 million. This reflected a curtailment gain of $1.525 billion resulting from the benefit plan changes that was partially offset by net actuarial losses of $956 million, driven by a reduction of approximately 32 basis points in the discount rate compared to December 31, 2016, offset by actual assets returns approximately 275 basis points above our expected return as of the remeasurement date. The net curtailment gain reduced the actuarial loss recorded in "Accumulated other comprehensive loss" in the equity section of the consolidated balance sheet. As actuarial losses were within the corridor (defined as 10% of the greater of the fair value of plan assets and the plan's projected benefit obligation), there was no impact to the statement of consolidated income for the quarter ended June 30, 2017.

Effective July 1, 2016, the Company amended the UPS 401(k) Savings Plan so that employees who would have been eligible for participation in the UPS Retirement Plan instead began earning a UPS Retirement Contribution. For employees eligible to receive the Retirement Contribution, UPS contributes 3% to 8% of eligible pay to the UPS 401(k) Savings Plan based on years of vesting service and business unit. Contributions are made annually in cash to the accounts of participants who are employed on December 31st of each calendar year.

Effective June 23, 2017, the Company amended the UPS 401(k) Savings Plan so that non-union employees who currently participate in the UPS Retirement Plan will, in addition to current benefits under the UPS 401(k) Savings Plan, earn a UPS Retirement Contribution beginning January 1, 2023. UPS will contribute 5% to 8% of eligible compensation to the UPS 401(k) Savings Plan based on years of vesting service. The amendment also provides for transition contributions for certain participants. There was no impact to the statement of consolidated income for the quarter ended June 30, 2017 as a result of the above changes.

Multiemployer Benefit Plans

We contribute to a number of multiemployer defined benefit and health and welfare plans under terms of collective bargaining agreements that cover our union-represented employees. Our current collective bargaining agreements set forth the annual contribution increases allotted to the plans that we participate in, and we are in compliance with these contribution rates. These limitations on annual contribution rates will remain in effect throughout the terms of the existing collective bargaining agreements.

As of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 we had $861 and $866 million, respectively, recorded in "Other Non-Current Liabilities," as well as $7 and $6 million as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively, recorded in "Other current liabilities," on our consolidated balance sheets associated with our previous withdrawal from a multiemployer pension plan. This liability is payable in equal monthly installments over a remaining term of approximately 45 years. Based on the borrowing rates currently available to us for long-term financing of a similar maturity, the fair value of this withdrawal liability as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 was $891 and $861 million, respectively. We utilized Level 2 inputs in the fair value hierarchy of valuation techniques to determine the fair value of this liability.

UPS was a contributing employer to the Central States Pension Fund (“CSPF”) until 2007 when we withdrew from the plan and fully funded our allocable share of unfunded vested benefits by paying a $6.1 billion withdrawal liability. Under a collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (“IBT”), UPS agreed to provide coordinating benefits in the UPS/IBT Full Time Employee Pension Plan (“UPS/IBT Plan”) for UPS participants whose last employer was UPS and who had not retired as of January 1, 2008 (“the UPS Transfer Group”) in the event that benefits are lawfully reduced by the CSPF in the future consistent with the terms of our withdrawal agreement with the CSPF.

In December 2014, Congress passed the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act (“MPRA”), which for the first time ever allowed multiemployer pension plans to reduce benefit payments to retirees, subject to specific guidelines in the statute and government approval. In September 2015, the CSPF submitted a proposed pension benefit reduction plan to the U.S. Department of the Treasury under the MPRA. The CSPF plan proposed to reduce retirement benefits to the CSPF participants, including the UPS Transfer Group. We vigorously challenged the proposed benefit reduction plan because we believed that it did not comply with the law and that the CSPF failed to comply with its contractual obligation to obtain our consent to reduce benefits to the UPS Transfer Group under the terms of the withdrawal agreement with the CSPF. On May 6, 2016, the U.S. Department of the Treasury rejected the proposed plan submitted by the CSPF, stating that it failed to satisfy a number of requirements set forth in the MPRA.

The CSPF has asserted that it will become insolvent in 2025 which could lead to the reduction of retirement benefits. Although there are numerous factors that could affect the CSPF’s funding status, if the CSPF were to become insolvent as they have projected, UPS may be required to provide coordinating benefits, thereby increasing the current projected benefit obligation for the UPS/IBT Plan by approximately $4 billion. The CSPF has said that it believes a legislative solution to its funding status is necessary, and we expect that the CSPF will continue to explore options to avoid insolvency.

The potential obligation to pay coordinating benefits from the UPS/IBT Plan is subject to a number of significant uncertainties, including actions that may be taken by the CSPF, the federal government or others. These actions include whether the CSPF will submit a revised pension benefit reduction plan or otherwise seek federal government assistance, the extent to which benefits are paid by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and our ability to successfully defend our legal positions, as well as the effect of discount rates and various other actuarial assumptions.

We account for this potential obligation under Accounting Standards Codification Topic 715- Compensation- Retirement Benefits (“ASC 715”). Under ASC 715 we are required to provide a best estimate of various actuarial assumptions, including the eventual outcome of this matter, in measuring our pension benefit obligation at the December 31st measurement date. While we currently believe the most likely solution to this matter and the broader systemic problems facing multiemployer pension plans is intervention by the federal government, ASC 715 does not permit anticipation of changes in law in making a best estimate of pension liabilities. Our best estimate as of the measurement date of December 31, 2016 does not incorporate this solution. Rather, our best estimate of the next most likely outcome to resolve the CSPF’s solvency concerns is that the CSPF will make another MPRA filing to forestall insolvency without reducing benefits to the UPS Transfer Group. If the CSPF attempts to reduce benefits for the UPS Transfer Group under a MPRA filing we would be in a strong legal position to prevent that from occurring given that these benefits cannot be reduced without our consent and such a reduction, without first exhausting reductions to other groups in the CSPF, would be contrary to the statute. Accordingly, our best estimate as of the measurement date of December 31, 2016 is that there is no liability to be recognized for additional coordinating benefits of the UPS/IBT Plan. However, the projected benefit obligation could materially increase as these uncertainties are resolved. We will continue to assess the impact of these uncertainties on the projected benefit obligation of the UPS/IBT Plan in accordance with ASC 715.

Collective Bargaining Agreements

As of December 31, 2016, we had approximately 268,000 employees employed under a national master agreement and various supplemental agreements with local unions affiliated with the Teamsters. During 2014, the Teamsters ratified a new national master agreement (“NMA”) with UPS that will expire on July 31, 2018. The economic provisions in the NMA included wage rate increases, as well as increased contribution rates for healthcare and pension benefits.

We have approximately 2,600 pilots who are employed under a collective bargaining agreement with the Independent Pilots Association ("IPA"). During 2016, the IPA members voted to ratify a new five-year labor contract. Terms of the agreement became effective September 1, 2016 and run through September 1, 2021. The economic provisions in the agreement included pay increases, a signing bonus and enhanced pension benefits.

Our airline mechanics are covered by a collective bargaining agreement with Teamsters Local 2727, which became amendable November 1, 2013. We are currently in negotiations with Teamsters Local 2727. In addition, approximately 3,000 of our auto and maintenance mechanics who are not employed under agreements with the Teamsters are employed under collective bargaining agreements with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (“IAM”) that will expire on July 31, 2019.