Note 12 - Retirement and Postretirement Plans

Plan Amendments and Updates

Bargaining Plan

On February 5, 2026, the United Steelworkers (“USW”) Local 1123 voted to ratify a new four-year contract (the “Contract”). The Contract, which is in effect until September 30, 2029, offers Metallus’ bargaining employees an increase to base wages every year, competitive healthcare and retirement benefits for all members, and has a continued focus on employee wellbeing as well as safe and sustainable operations. The Contract covers approximately 1,200 bargaining employees at the Company’s Canton, Ohio operations.

The Contract ratification resulted in several changes to the Bargaining Plan, including the option for eligible employees to freeze their pension accrual in exchange for an opportunity to elect an in-service lump sum distribution of their pension benefit at age 59 1/2. These changes required a remeasurement of the Bargaining Plan's pension obligations and plan assets during the first quarter of 2026. A gain of $2.5 million was recognized for the three months ended March 31, 2026, primarily driven by investment gains on plan assets and a decrease in the net pension liability as a result of an increase in the discount rate.

The remeasurement incorporated various assumptions used by the Company’s actuaries in calculating pension obligations and plan assets. These assumptions include discount rates, the expected return on plan assets, and estimates of the number of eligible employees expected to elect an in‑service lump‑sum distribution. Actual results differing from these assumptions, as well as changes in assumptions, could affect future pension expense and obligations.

In the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company contributed a total of $19.8 million to its pension plans. In April 2026, the Company contributed an additional $5.4 million to the Bargaining Plan and anticipates additional pension contributions of approximately $5.0 million for the remainder of 2026. Required future pension contribution timing and amounts are subject to significant change based on future investment performance, Company estimates and actuarial assumptions, as well as current funding laws.

Salaried Plan

During the fourth quarter of 2021, the Company's Board of Directors approved the termination of the Salaried Plan and the plan was terminated effective March 31, 2022, subject to regulatory approval which was received in the fourth quarter of 2023. On May 15, 2024, the Company entered into an agreement to purchase a group annuity contract from The Prudential Insurance Company of America ("Prudential") in connection with the annuitization of the Salaried Plan. Following the completion of the annuity contract, there were surplus assets which were used to make a one-time 401(k) contribution to eligible employees. As a result, the Company recognized a loss of $3.6 million in the first quarter of 2025 when the remaining assets were distributed.

Pension Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Income)

The Bargaining Plan and Supplemental Plan each have a provision that permits employees to elect to receive their pension benefits in a lump sum upon retirement. The Company's accounting policy is to recognize settlements during the quarter in which it is projected that the costs of all settlements during the year will be greater than the sum of the service cost and interest cost components.