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.

ColoradoWINS is made up of the largest public-sector unions in the nation, and they have driven up the cost of government wherever they have organized public employees,” said Senate GOP leader Andy McElhany.  “No matter what the governor says about building partnerships with workers, the bottom line is that this is going to create a huge, new burden on Colorado taxpayers in the years to come. You can bet on that.”

Last year, Ritter issued an executive order allowing unions, for the first time, to collectively bargain for state employees’ pay and benefits.  GOP legislators have criticized the order saying it will increase costs to the state.

An editorial by the Denver Post last year charged that Ritter’s order would increase costs to the state.

An analysis by the Seattle Times newspaper found that collective bargaining by unions for that state’s government employees dramatically increased payroll after just two years.

“Everywhere these unions have gone, they have demanded higher pay and benefits for their members,” said McElhany.  “With a shaky national economy and projected revenues in Colorado declining, we cannot afford to have these unions dictate our budget.”