$500K Western Electrical Contractors Association Settlement Resolves Jan. 2024 Data Breach Litigation

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Western Electrical Contractors Association (WECA) has agreed to a $500,000 settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit alleging that the electrical training and apprenticeship organization failed to safeguard the private student information stored on its systems, which led to a January 2024 data breach.

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The WECA class action settlement received preliminary approval from the court on December 22, 2025 and covers all United States residents whose personal information was acquired by an unauthorized third party during the January 2024 data breach, including those who received written notice of the breach and those confirmed in WECA’s records.

Per court documents, approximately 35,290 individuals will be covered by the settlement.

The court-approved website for the Western Electrical Contractors Association data breach settlement can be found at WECADataSettlement.com.

According to the settlement site, WECA settlement class members who file a valid, timely claim form have multiple options for reimbursement.

Class members who submit with their claim form documented proof of out-of-pocket losses attributable to the data breach are eligible to receive a one-time cash payment of up to $5,000, also referred to as “Cash Payment A” in all court documents. The settlement agreement explains that out-of-pocket expenses cannot already have been reimbursed by another third-party and include those related to credit monitoring, identity theft protection, credit/debit card charges, bank fees, and costs to replace identification. 

In lieu of a documented-loss payment, WECA class members may instead file a claim to receive a one-time, pro-rated cash payment of approximately $100. According to the settlement agreement, no proof is required from a class member who files a claim form to receive this benefit.

WECA class members may elect to receive their cash payout via check or electronic payment, and all checks must be cashed within 180 days of issuance before expiration, court documents add.

In addition to any monetary benefits, all class members may also file a claim to receive two free years of identity theft protection and one-bureau credit monitoring, which also includes dark web scanning, identity restoration, and identity theft insurance, the site notes.

Finally, as part of the settlement, WECA has agreed to enact certain business practice changes to enhance its security system and reduce the risk of any future data breaches.

To submit a Western Electrical Contractors Association settlement claim form online, class members can head to this page and enter the unique ID and PIN as listed on their received copy of the settlement notice. Alternatively, class members may download a PDF of the claim form from the settlement site to print, fill out, and return by mail to the settlement administrator listed on the first page of the document.

All WECA claim forms must be submitted online or by mail by April 21, 2026.

Consumers who believe they may be a WECA settlement class member but did not receive a notice can contact the settlement administrator to confirm their identity and obtain their login information.

The court will determine whether to grant final approval to the WECA data breach settlement at a hearing on April 17, 2026. Compensation will begin to be distributed to consumers only after final approval has been granted and any appeals have been resolved.

The Western Electrical Contractors Association class action lawsuit alleged that the California-based non-profit organization failed to protect electrical trainees and apprentices from a targeted cyberattack that occurred between approximately January 21, 2024 and January 22, 2024. Court documents state that the private information potentially impacted in the breach included names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, medical information, health insurance information and treatment costs.

Learn all about the legal process: What is a class action lawsuit?