If the Financial Accounting Standards Board approves a new disclosure standard that it put up for comment this month, companies with multiemployer defined-benefit pension plans may be compelled, starting this fiscal year, to begin reporting their unfunded liabilities, as well as what it would cost them to exit the plans. Companies that could be affected include UPS, Safeway, YRC Worldwide, Kroger and EMCOR Group.

According to Moody's, unfunded liabilities in multiemployer plans exceed $160 billion. The underfunding threatens all companies that have such plans because if a plan sponsor goes bankrupt, its unfunded liability is assumed by the remaining sponsors.