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ERIE - LACKAWANNA MERGER STUDY

Pensions, Group Insurance, Medical Protection and Stock Options

Study XVIII

Both the Erie and the Lackawanna has its own Pension, Group insurance and Medical Protection plan, while only the Lackawanna has a Stock Option plan. The purpose of this study was to analyze these plans and determine the types of plans that would probably be adopted by the merged company together with the estimated,change in cost which would result.

Pensions

The Erie has a single funded plan covering officers, excepted employees and non-excepted employees, while the Lackawanna has had two separate plans: funded for officers and excepted employees and unfunded for non-excepted employees.

We understand the two companies have agreed to extend the Erie plan to Lackawanna employees presently covered by the Lackawanna funded plan. The Lackawanna'a unfunded plan was canceled as of June 30, 1959, because of the Company's financial condition and the additional financial burden imposed by the recent amendment to the Railroad Retirement Act. It would seen probable that the Erie plan would after merger also extend to all employees of the merged company in categories similar to those now covered by the Erie plan. As to present Lackawanna employees, this would include most, if not all, of the employees formerly covered by the unfunded plan, and some not covered by either plan.

We have examined the reports made to both companies by their actuaries with respect to the funded plans for the years 1956 and 1958. There are some slight differences in the actuarial methods employed and assumptions made but we do not regard these as material:

  • The principal differences between the financial aspects of the two plans are that as of 1958 the Erie plan is funded to the extent of approximately 42% of the present value of all liabilities under the plan, while the Lackawanna plan is funded only to the extent of about 13%. This automatically requires the Lackawanna payments per employee and per dollar of liability to be higher than Erie's payments.
  • Erie's plan provides for paying pensions at the rate of 1% per year of service whereas the Lackawanna rate for calculating pensions is 1.25% per year of service. This automatically makes Erie payments 20% less than Lackawanna payments other things being equal.
  • The broader coverage of the Erie plan means that the average compensation per employee covered by the plan is substantially less than the Lackawanna. In 1958 the average compensation per Lackawanna employee covered was $7,840 per annum while the average compensation per Erie employee covered was $6,269 per annum. Since pensions are computed on the excess over $4,200 per annum, this accentuates the difference between the two companies. The Lackawanna excess was $3,640 per annum per employee while the Erie excess was only $2,069 per employee. This factor also properly reduces the Erie payments per employee.

    As a result of these figures plus the minor differences in actuarial practice, the Lackawanna payments per employee in 1958 were approximately $220 and Erie payments were approximately $50.

    In calculating the result of changing to the Erie pension plan, the following assumptions have been made:

  • Lackawanna actuarial calculations properly reflect the liability with respect to the individual Lackawanna employees involved.
  • As to employees presently covered by the Lackawanna plan, the actual cost will be reduced 20% due to the difference in basis of computing the pension.
  • After extension of the Erie plan to all Lackawanna employees eligible under the existing provisions of the Erie plan, the average compensation of Lackawanna employees taken into the Erie plan will be the same as the average compensation of Erie employees presently covered.

    Based upon these assumptions, the net result of applying the Erie plan to Lackawanna employees will be approximately as follows: 1956 1958 Decreased cost of applying the plan to Lackawanna employees presently covered. $57,334 G $29,794 G Increased cost of applying Erie plan to Lackawanna employees not presently covered. 50,700 L 272 L ----------------------- Net result of applying Erie plan to the Lackawanna employees. $ 6,634 G $13,522 G

    Group Insurance

    The Erie and Lackawanna plans are contributory and apply to specified classes of non-excepted employees as well as to officers and excepted employees, with the Lackawanna plan applying to a broader group of employees than the Erie. It is believed that the merged company would have a plan with employee coverage similar to that offered by the Lackawanna but with the addition of accidental death and dismemberment provisions.

    The cost of providing the broader Lackawanna coverage to nonexcepted employees was determined by applying the Lackawanna cost per man covered in each class to the number of Erie employees of such class who would be covered in the future. The extra cost of the accidental death and dismemberment provision was also applied to the Lackawanna personnel now covered.-

    Savings were computed by applying the Lackawanna unit costs to the covered proportion of the estimated reduction in the number of officers and employees in the merged company.

    Medical Protection

    Both companies provide protection for their officers and excepted employees on a similar basis and no increased cost or saving would result from merger.

    Stock Options

    We assume no stock option plan would be offered to officers and employees of the merged company. Persons with options under the present Lackawanna plan would be protected, but this would not result in any increased cost from the proposed merger.

               Summary
    
       As shown in the table below, the estimated net additional annual cost from
      the changes described would be $15,908
    
           Pensions
    
          Net saving as outlined above                    $ 6,634 G
          Saving from reduction in number of
           eligible officers and employees                 21,728 G
    
          Group Insurance
    
          Added cost of providing expanded
          Lackawanna plan to employees of
               Lackawanna          $18,227 L
               Erie                 64,503 L               82,730 L
          Saving from reduction in number of
            eligible officers and employees                38,460 G
    
                     Net added annual cost                $15,908 L