The Couillard government is preparing to introduce legislation that will legalize volunteer work done by parents in Quebec schools.
But the largest construction union in the province says allowing such unregulated work is a recipe for disaster.
Quebec Federation of Labour (FTQ) general manager Yves Ouellet tells La Presse that only skilled and experienced workers should be called upon to perform repair and renovation work in schools.
Ouellet says union members are trained to recognize issues such as mould and mildew, whereas a parent may end up painting over a problem area, only to have children in the school fall ill years later.
Labour Minister Dominique Vien who came to the defence of parents who were criticized by the union for helping paint a school in the Montérégie last month says the draft legislation has been approved by cabinet and is expected to be introduced soon.