Pilots blast Air Canada CEO's 'poison' comments

MONTREAL, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Air Canada's (Toronto:AC.TO - news) pilots union blasted the airline's tough-talking chief executive on Thursday, saying his recent criticism of union leaders is ``poisoning'' the bargaining process and setting the stage for a
crippling strike in the middle of the busy summer season.

Nevertheless, Don Johnson, acting head of the Air Canada Pilots Association, said the union is committed to a mediation process put in motion by the federal
government to try to end the dispute between the 2,200 pilots and the airline over over wages, pensions and working conditions. Mediation is set to start August 7
with the help of special conciliator named by the government.

``We call on all our pilots to remain calm in the face of this abuse directed at them by the company'', Johnson said in a release.

The union was referring to comments made by Milton during a press conference on Wednesday. Milton called the union head ``irresponsible'' for turning down the
company's latest contract offer, which he called ``the biggest offer ever made in Canadian labour history.''

Contract talks between Air Canada, the country's dominant airline, and its pilots broke off on July 14. The pilots have been without a collective agreement since
April 1, and they gave a strong strike mandate to their union representative on June 26. Both parties have pledged to continue normal operations and neither a strike
nor lockout is planned during the mediation process.