Amendment No. 3 to Form S-1 Table of Contents SAFEWAY INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements Note 0: Multiemployer Benefit Plans Multiemployer Pension Plans Safeway contributes to a number of multiemployer defined benefit pension plans under the terms of collective bargaining agreements that cover its union-represented employees. Benefits generally are based on a fixed amount for each year of service, and, in some cases, are not negotiated with contributing employers or in some cases even known by contributing employers. None of the Company's collective bargaining agreements require that a minimum contribution be made to these plans. The risks of participating in U.S. multiemployer pension plans are different from single-employer pension plans in the following aspects: a. Assets contributed to the multiemployer plan by one employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers. b. If a participating employer stops contributing to the plan, the unfunded obligations of the plan may be borne by the remaining participating employers. c. If Safeway stops participating in some of its multiemployer pension plans, Safeway may be required to pay those plans an amount based on the underfunded status of the plan, referred to as a withdrawal liability. The Company made and charged to expense contributions of $277.1 million in 2014. $259.2 million in 2013 and $248.7 million in 2012 to these plans for continuing operations. In 2013, the Company sold all Canadian operations which terminated our obligation to contribute to Canadian multiemployer pension plans. Due to provincial law in Canada, Safeway is not expected to incur multiemployer pension withdrawal liability associated with the sale. Also in 2013, the Company sold or closed all stores in the Dominick's division. As previously reported, Dominick's participated in certain multiemployer pension plans on which withdrawal liabilities have been o