St. Francis Xavier University says the union representing its faculty has walked out of conciliation talks, triggering a 14-day countdown to a potential strike.

The Antigonish university said talks broke down between the two sides on Saturday after the union rejected the school’s latest offer.

St. Francis Xavier University said it was offering a nearly seven per cent raise over four years during a time when the school is cutting back.

There’s no word yet from the union. The school is asking the union to come back to the table.

Of the 78.4 per cent of Association of University Teachers who participated in a strike vote in October, 79.6 per cent voted in favour of giving their negotiators a strike mandate.

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North American Security and Crisis Response Leader Acquires Mena International Group, Extending its Expertise to Latin America

CLEVELAND, OH — August 14, 2012 — AFIMAC, a North American leader in corporate security and crisis response has announced its acquisition of Mena International Group, specialists in security, investigations and crisis response within Latin America. The buy-out comes just two weeks after AFIMAC announced its corporate merger of AFI International and IMAC Global, a move intended to streamline its services across North America. This flurry of alliance and acquisition activity signals a major growth and expansion phase for the well-recognized and elite group of security companies.

Through the acquisition of Mena International, AFIMAC will now further extend its reach into Latin America in order to better serve those companies with multi-regional operations. Latin America is a very important market for AFIMAC’s global clients and, based on its superior reputation, Mena was selected as the best security partner that could bring access, security expertise and experience across the region.

About AFIMAC
Combining the strengths of AFI International and International Management Assistance Corporation (IMAC), AFIMAC Global is a leader in the provision of comprehensive corporate security and contingency planning services through North and South America and also offers global services. Its diverse capabilities include executive protection, labor dispute planning & response, cargo security & escorts, disaster & emergency response, corporate investigations, workplace violence assessment & response. With a distinguished management team and highly skilled personnel, AFIMAC Global is well known for its high quality service delivery and immediate responsiveness. www.afimacglobal.com

About Mena International Group
With services spanning from investigations, crisis management, executive protection and emergency response, Mena International Group is recognized as the premier trusted security service provider for companies across Latin America. www.menasecurity.com

For media inquiries, please contact Kathy Hungerford, AFIMAC, 1-800-554-4622

Ohio-based International Management Assistance Corporation (IMAC) has achieved HRCI approval for several of the courses offered at its IMAC Online Training Academy. Human resources professionals will now receive HRCI accreditation towards their Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) designation upon successful completion of any of these unique, professionally-relevant courses, available at www.imac-training.com.

The courses pre-approved by the HR Certification Institute (HRCI) have been designed expressly to further the careers of HR professionals, and include pragmatic subject matter developed by some of the industry’s top security professionals. Most popular of the accredited courses include an overview of workplace violence, nonviolent confrontation, high-risk terminations and work stoppage management.

Launched in early 2011, the IMAC Online Training Academy is unique in the practical and applicable nature of the training it provides. The IMAC security education team brings together respected experts who will instruct primarily on the realistic application of field-tested concepts and tactics to ensure students get relevant knowledge and techniques to equip them to succeed in the industry today. In addition to its more than twenty courses geared to HR professionals, the school also provides workplace violence training for security professionals and corporate executives.

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Milton (PRWEB) December 05, 2011

Responding to a rise in Canadian insurance fraud, ISB Canada, a leading source document company, is partnering with AFI International, an elite security firm that provides best-in-class insurance investigations. ISB clients will be able to take advantage of these investigative services at AFI, effective immediately.

The extensive list of insurance investigation services offered through AFI International will include: GPS technology, surveillance, background investigations, witness location & statements, bodily injury claims, accident benefit, evidence collection, litigation testimony and more.

ISB’s preferred partner AFI International Group Inc. is a leader in this field with more than 25 years of success conducting in excess of 8000 investigations relating to fraudulent claims both in the insurance and corporate markets. Its investigation experts hold licences in all provinces and territories in Canada and work out of its many offices in most major city centres, allowing them to deliver exceptional responsiveness and reach – including the ability to track subjects into the U.S. Through AFI’s leading-edge GPS and web-based technologies, ISB clients will also get 24-hour access to case updates and expenses on any particular investigation; this means savings of up to 30% in productivity through the added convenience of having cases viewable from any location, at any time.

“We have seen the statistics and heard the call for reputable insurance investigators,” says Gino Fiorucci, CEO of ISB Canada. “We are thrilled now to be able to offer these much needed investigation services through our affiliate and partner, who brings a phenomenal track record of success in this area over the last two decades.

“We are happy to bring our tried and trusted insurance investigation services to ISB Canada clients, says Desmond Taljaard, senior vice president of AFI International.”Our investigators are standing by with the best tools and tactics to markedly decrease the occurrence of insurance fraud across Canada.”

About ISB Canada
For more than 14 years, ISB Canada has led the way in the delivery of information to the Insurance industry as well as  pre-employment background screening. Our services have helped individuals and businesses validate property and casualty insurance claims and source/verify information on potential new hires. Through numerous partnerships, ISB is able to supply a wealth of quality information resources to our clients through a single source or “one stop shop” concept. ISB offers a unique blend of best practices, customized client services and innovative technology. http://www.isbc.ca

About AFI International
AFI International Group provides elite security, risk management, business continuity and investigative services to protect people and property both during labour disruption and regular business operations. AFI also offers an assortment of pre-crisis planning and premium security solutions to businesses representing nearly every industry. For more information call 1.800.313.9170 or visit http://www.afimaccan.com

For media inquiries, please contact Stephen Anderson, ISB Canada, 1-800-313-9170.

This press release was distributed through PR Web by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer:http://www.HRmarketer.com) on behalf of the company listed above.

The Web Marketing Association Recognizes IMAC’s Outstanding Achievement in Web Development

Ohio-based International Management Assistance Corporation (IMAC), a leader in crisis planning and response, is pleased to announce that it has received a 2011 WEBAWARD from the Web Marketing Association. The award recognizes outstanding achievement in web development within one of the industry categories.

IMAC’s dynamic and user-friendly new website, http://www.afimac-us.com, was officially launched earlier this year, and provides links to its new social media sites, feeds and blogs.

The WEBAWARD is a significant honor bestowed on a select few companies from around the world. More than 2000 sites from 45 countries compete in 96 industry categories each year. IMAC’s site captured the coveted prize based on its excellence in design, copywriting, innovation, content, interactivity, navigation and use of technology.

Highlights of the new IMAC website include easily-downloadable corporate brochures, strong document sharing functionality and easy access to both IMAC’s proprietary software Veritas and its popular online training academy where individuals can get certified in a wide range of professional topics including strike security.

“For us, the award is confirmation that we have developed a truly engaging and client-friendly site”, says Peter Martin, IMAC president. “After all, it is great to have a comprehensive website, but the most important thing is to serve our clients efficiently with an easy-to-navigate, secure and appealing online presence.”

About IMAC

For more than 25 years, International Management Assistance Corporation (IMAC) has offered elite security, risk management and business continuity services to image conscious companies across North America. IMAC has partnered with their clients to protect people and property both during times of crisis and regular business operations. The company also offers an assortment of online training, pre-crisis planning and premium security solutions to businesses representing nearly every industry.

For media inquiries, please contact Kathy Hungerford, IMAC, 1-800-554-4622

AFI International Capabilities Video

Milton based AFI International Group Inc. (AFI) has further strengthened its online presence with the launch of a new capabilities video. The video is featured on its corporate website and is broken down into service areas to coincide with the downloadable brochures, so clients are able to more easily share information with colleagues pre, during and post planning meetings.

Milton based AFI International Group Inc. (AFI) has further strengthened its online presence with the launch of a new capabilities video. The video is featured on its corporate website and is broken down into service areas to coincide with the downloadable brochures, so clients are able to more easily share information with colleagues pre, during and post planning meetings.

Other highlights of the AFI website include strong document sharing functionality and easy access to both AFI’s proprietary software Veritas and the popular online training academy where individuals can receive a certificate that could be used towards association certification in a wide range of professional HR and security topics.

“Our new site and social media presence already allows us to clearly define our services and communicate our expertise to companies across Canada,” says AFI’s president, Peter Martin “and the addition of our capability videos puts a face to the services and testimonials.”

The site is also seamlessly linked to AFI and the US affiliate – IMAC’s – social media presence which includes Twitter, LinkedIn, RSS feeds and blogs that the North American executives have committed to writing themselves. Topics include business continuity planning for strike security, disaster planning and response, workplace violence, high risk security operations, corporate executive protection programs and everything in between.

“We believe when you are an expert in the industry, there is a responsibility to make that expertise accessible to your clients,” says Peter Martin AFI president. “These online outlets will allow us to freely share that expertise and thoughts on industry happenings on a regular basis.”

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AFI’s Web-Based Platform Veritas, Shortens the Distance Between the Field and the Corporate Office

Milton – January 31, 2011 – Ontario based AFI International Group Inc. (AFI) is pleased to announce the launch of Veritas, an AFI developed and implemented web-based management platform that allows its field operations teams to share documentation and video critical to our clients and their operations in virtually real time.  This ‘intelligence on demand’ service is available immediately for all AFI clients.

Using Veritas, field staff can directly upload important documentation and video quickly and securely for immediate viewing by executives, support staff, clients and legal.  This gives AFI clients an unprecedented opportunity to react more quickly to changing conditions and make the most informed decisions on fast breaking security matters.

“Our new platform shortens the distance between the field and corporate office,” says AFI president Peter Martin. “It is a superbly designed document sharing program that can shave hours, even days, off security reaction times – with all the built-in privacy controls to keep proprietary information secure.”

Some highlights of the Veritas Document Management Platform include:

• SSL encryption - to keep communications private and secure
• Different tiers of access - based on role of the user - information can be restricted to certain groups
• Online address book – for all important contacts, on and off the job site
• Easy and secure document sharing – including contracts, training manuals and cost projections, incident and change reports
• Immediate online video sharing – replacing need to copy and mail tape to legal staff

“Veritas is just one more way we are trying to improve the speed and efficiency of corporate security,” says Martin. “With the instant video sharing capability and cutting edge incident management functionality, we are moving our field operations teams to the next level of professional responsiveness and informed decision making.”

BURNABY, B.C. – The United Steelworkers said Thursday that some 260 workers at the Endako Mines open pit and milling operations in northern B.C. have officially joined the union.

The mine, which is owned by Thompson Creek Metals Co. Inc. (TSX:TCM), produces molybdenum, which is used in the manufacture of metal alloys and stainless steel.

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