SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                          Washington, D.C. 20549
                                     
                                     
                                 FORM 8-K
                                     
                                     
                              CURRENT REPORT
                                     
                                     
                  Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                      Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                                     
                                     
                                     
                              Date of Report
                    (Date of earliest event reported):
                              March 20, 1997
                                     
                                     
                                     
   Commission        Registrant; State of Incorporation;      IRS Employer
  File Number           Address; and Telephone Number        Identification
                                                                   No.
                                                                    
    1-10628                  CIPSCO INCORPORATED               37-1260920
                          (AN Illinois Corporation)
                            607 East Adams Street
                         Springfield, Illinois 62739
                                217-523-3600
                                      
     1-3672        CENTRAL ILLINOIS PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY     37-0211380
                          (An Illinois Corporation)
                            607 East Adams Street
                         Springfield, Illinois 62739
                                217-523-3600
                                      

Item 5. Other Events

Reference is made to Item 1 Business - Utility Subsidiary - Central
Illinois Public Service Company - Employees in the Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 1996 (the "Form 10-K") of CIPSCO
Incorporated and Central Illinois Public Service Company ("CIPS") for a
discussion of CIPS employees represented by collective bargaining units.
In addition to such employees referred to in the Form 10-K, groups
consisting of (i) four clerical employees at CIPS' Newton power
station, (ii) six clerical employees at the Coffeen power station
and (iii) 16 production and technical employees at a Springfield, Illinois
operations facility have been certified by the National Labor Relations
Board to be represented by labor organizations.  While these employees will
be represented by the union locals which currently represent other CIPS
employees, existing labor contracts do not cover these additional
employees.  CIPS is negotiating separately with each of the three groups.
Substantial agreement has been reached on all issues except wages with the
Coffeen power station clerical employees, but as of mid-March, 1997,
CIPS concluded that a final agreement might not be reached with this unit
for some time.  Negotiations with the other two groups are in the initial
stages.  Although CIPS expects to reach a final agreement with all three
bargaining units, until such agreements are reached, a strike, work
stoppage, work slowdown or similar action involving such employees, and
other collective bargaining unit employees, could occur.  CIPS believes
that the continuation of any one or more of such events for a limited
period would not have a material adverse effect on CIPS' operations or
financial results.

The belief stated in the previous paragraph is a forward looking statement
and actual results could differ materially.  Among the factors that could
cause actual results to differ would be the inability to reach satisfactory
agreement with the union groups, extreme weather conditions, unanticipated
plant outages and other factors referred to in Exhibit 99.03 to the Form 10-
K.

                                SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrants CIPSCO Incorporated and Central Illinois Public Service Company
have duly caused this report to be signed on each registrant's behalf by
the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                        CIPSCO Incorporated
                          (Registrant)



                        Central Illinois Public Service Company
                          (Registrant)

                                                                           
                             /s/ Robert C. Porter
                        ___________________________________
                                 Robert C. Porter
                         Treasurer and Assistant Secretary
                                of each Registrant



Date:  March 20, 1997