The Ohio Healthy Families Act, which would require companies to provide employees with seven days of paid sick time, is a union backed initiative gathering strength and signatures.

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce, though, is trying to stop this movement right in its tracks.

Several local business owners attended a luncheon on Tuesday to learn more about the bill.  Many businesses fear the bill will hurt their bottom line.

"There's only so much a company could do to figure out how to put their mandate into their bottom line and that is either gonna increase costs of goods and services we all pay in order to accommodate the mandate", explains Tony Fiore, Ohio Chamber of Commerce.

But Kurt Bateman, with Ohioans for Healthy Families disagrees, "Every study we have seen shows it would be an economic benefit to employers to pursue this policy as opposed to force folks to work when they're sick."

Proponents have until August 6th to turn in signatures.  If they have enough, then residents will vote on this issue in November.