UPS 2012 Annual Report Download - page 80

UNITED PARCEL SERVICE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
68
NOTE 4. COMPANY-SPONSORED EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
We sponsor various retirement and pension plans, including defined benefit and defined contribution plans which cover
our employees worldwide.
U.S. Pension Benefits
In the U.S. we maintain the following single-employer defined benefit pension plans: UPS Retirement Plan, UPS Pension
Plan, UPS IBT Pension Plan and the UPS Excess Coordinating Benefit Plan, a non-qualified plan.
The UPS Retirement Plan is noncontributory and includes substantially all eligible employees of participating domestic
subsidiaries who are not members of a collective bargaining unit, as well as certain employees covered by a collective
bargaining agreement. This plan generally provides for retirement benefits based on average compensation levels earned by
employees prior to retirement. Benefits payable under this plan are subject to maximum compensation limits and the annual
benefit limits for a tax qualified defined benefit plan as prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
The UPS Excess Coordinating Benefit Plan is a non-qualified plan that provides benefits to certain participants in the
UPS Retirement Plan for amounts that exceed the benefit limits described above.
The UPS Pension Plan is noncontributory and includes certain eligible employees of participating domestic subsidiaries
and members of collective bargaining units that elect to participate in the plan. This plan generally provides for retirement
benefits based on service credits earned by employees prior to retirement.
The UPS IBT Pension Plan is noncontributory and includes employees that were previously members of the Central
States, Southeast and Southwest Areas Pension Fund (“Central States Pension Fund”), a multiemployer pension plan, in
addition to other eligible employees who are covered under certain collective bargaining agreements.
U.S. Postretirement Medical Benefits
We also sponsor postretirement medical plans in the U.S. that provide health care benefits to our retirees who meet certain
eligibility requirements and who are not otherwise covered by multiemployer plans. Generally, this includes employees with at
least 10 years of service who have reached age 55 and employees who are eligible for postretirement medical benefits from a
Company-sponsored plan pursuant to collective bargaining agreements. We have the right to modify or terminate certain of
these plans. These benefits have been provided to certain retirees on a noncontributory basis; however, in many cases, retirees
are required to contribute all or a portion of the total cost of the coverage.
International Pension Benefits
We also sponsor various defined benefit plans covering certain of our international employees. The majority of our
international obligations are for defined benefit plans in Canada and the United Kingdom. In addition, many of our international
employees are covered by government-sponsored retirement and pension plans. We are not directly responsible for providing
benefits to participants of government-sponsored plans.
Defined Contribution Plans
We also sponsor several defined contribution plans for all employees not covered under collective bargaining agreements,
and for certain employees covered under collective bargaining agreements. The Company matches, in shares of UPS common
stock or cash, a portion of the participating employees’ contributions. In early 2009, we suspended the company matching
contributions to the primary employee defined contribution plan. A revised program of company matching contributions was
reinstated effective January 1, 2011. Matching contributions charged to expense were $83, $80 and $4 million for 2012, 2011
and 2010, respectively.
Contributions are also made to defined contribution money purchase plans under certain collective bargaining
agreements. Amounts charged to expense were $80, $76 and $78 million for 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.