The Senate’s top Republican says a vote this week by state employees to let unions do their bidding will cost Colorado taxpayers dearly for years to come.

Sen. GOP chief Andy McElhany, of Colorado Springs, said Gov. Bill Ritter’s drive to unionize state government employees evidently has paid off now that more than 22,000 of them will be represented by unions in collective bargaining for wages and benefits.

According to a report in Thursday’s Denver Post, 6,900 state workers—out of 22,500 state workers who would be affected—voted for union representation.  Of those who voted, only 5,481 actually supported collective bargaining, yet all 22,500 now will be represented. An organized-labor coalition calling itself ColoradoWINS, consisting of the AFSCME, CAPE-SEIU and AFT, had organized the mail-in vote.