By Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – About 255 employees with Illinois Power---now Ameren IP---will take an early retirement package.
St. Louis-based Ameren offered the package to 950 employees in November.
Ameren Spokeswoman Shirley Swarthout says those who chose to take the package will leave over the course of next year.
"Many of them will be working up through the third quarter as we work on converting our systems to merge with Ameren Systems and completing the training for the people who do that work," Swarthout said.
The offer provides 26 to 78 weeks of pay, along with medical and dental premiums for up to a year and a half based on the employee's service.