Air Canada and the union representing 10,000 striking flight attendants will hold discussions on Monday night with a mediator, the union said in a statement.

More than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants will continue their strike despite back-to-work orders from the Canadian government, the Air Canada component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees said Sunday.

Air Canada suspended plans to restart operations Sunday after the union representing 10,000 flight attendants said it will defy a return to work order.

Air Canada on Monday withdrew its third quarter and full-year earnings guidance due to a disruption in operations after its flight attendants went on strike.

The Canadian carrier said it expects to call off 500 flights by the end of Friday. Air Canada said it was suspending its schedule and trying to get passengers booked with other airlines to limit disruptions.

The union for 10,000 striking Air Canada flight attendants said on Monday they won’t return to work even though the strike, now in its third day, has been declared illegal.

The Canadian government has urged Air Canada and its flight attendants' union to restart contract negotiations, with a threatened work stoppage that could disrupt travel for tens of thousands just hours away unless there is a resolution to the dispute.

Air Canada wants to reinforce the gender wage gap by forcing Air Canada flight attendants – 70% of whom identify as women – to accept a wage offer less than one-third what Air Canada offered its pilots less than a year ago.