On January 28, 2025, the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 135 (“UFCW”) filed a notice of data breach with the Attorney General of Maine after discovering that information on its computer network was accessed—and potentially acquired—by an unauthorized party. In this notice, UFCW explains that the incident resulted in an unauthorized party being able to access members’ sensitive information. Upon completing its investigation, UFCW began sending out data breach notification letters to all individuals whose information was affected by the recent data security incident.
If you received a data breach notification from UFCW Local 135, it is essential you understand what is at risk and what you can do about it. A data breach lawyer can help you learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft, as well as discuss your legal options following the UFCW Local 135 data breach. For more information, please see our recent piece on the topic here.
What Caused the UFCW Local 135 Data Breach?
The UFCW Local 135 data breach was only recently announced, and more information is expected in the near future. However, UFCW’s filing with the Attorney General of Maine provides some important information on what led up to the breach. According to this source, on August 23, 2024, UFCW detected suspicious activity within its computer network. In response, UFCW secured its network and then enlisted the help of an outside cybersecurity firm to investigate the incident.
Through this investigation, UFCW learned that an unauthorized party was able to access, and potentially acquire, certain information that was stored on its IT network, including confidential member information.
After learning that sensitive member data was accessible to an unauthorized party, UFCW Local 135 reviewed the compromised files to determine what information was leaked and which members were impacted. UFCW completed this process on January 15, 2025.
While the publicly available data breach letter on the Maine Attorney General’s website does not mention what type of information was compromised, on January 28, 2025, UFCW Local 135 sent out personalized data breach letters to anyone who was affected by the recent data security incident. These letters should provide victims with a list of what information belonging to them was compromised.
More Information About UFCW Local 135
UFCW Local 135 is a labor union representing workers across various industries, including grocery, retail, healthcare, and pharmacy sectors. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the union advocates for fair wages, benefits, and workplace protections for its members, negotiating collective bargaining agreements with major employers. Local 135 is one of the largest Teamsters locals in the country, with 12,000 members. With a strong focus on workers’ rights, UFCW Local 135 provides support in areas such as contract enforcement, legal representation, and member education. The organization employs approximately 25 people and generates an estimated $5 million in annual revenue.
