Southern Methodist University is changing who cleans its classrooms and offices, and that contract switch is set to cost 211 janitorial workers their jobs next spring. ABM Texas General Services has notified state officials that its SMU-related layoffs are scheduled to take effect March 12, 2026. Most of the affected employees work as cleaners across SMU's Dallas campus.
What ABM told state officials
In a late December letter to the Texas Workforce Commission, ABM Texas General Services said it will lay off 211 team members effective March 12, 2026. The letter describes the decision as an "unforeseeable business circumstance" tied to SMU's move to "provide its janitorial work to another vendor at these locations" as reported by the Houston Chronicle. The notice says the vast majority of impacted workers are cleaners and also lists at least one account manager, an administrative assistant, a district manager, a lead, a project manager, and a technician. The same report notes that ABM's site listings across Texas numbered roughly 250 openings.
Company points workers to its hiring portal
ABM's public careers page highlights openings, training, and benefits for frontline roles and invites job seekers to apply for positions across the state. The company directs employees and applicants to that portal as it manages transitions between client sites and vendors, and ABM's careers page lists recruitment resources for Texas. ABM maintains the statewide jobs portal referenced in the notice.
Local ripple effects
The letter says the SMU sites covered by the notice are not unionized, which means the displaced workers do not have collective bargaining protections tied to the contract. As the Houston Chronicle notes, the ABM announcement caps a year that included several large layoffs in Texas, including nearly 2,000 jobs at a Tyson Foods plant and other sizable reductions in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
What workers can expect next
The late December notice sets a March 12, 2026, separation date, a timeline that roughly lines up with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act's 60-day advance notice window for covered mass layoffs, although the law allows limited exceptions in some cases. The U.S. Department of Labor explains WARN's notice rules and exceptions for unforeseeable business circumstances. U.S. Department of Labor. In Texas, the state agency that receives WARN filings and coordinates employer-led Rapid Response services is the Texas Workforce Commission, which posts WARN notices and offers job search, benefits, and reemployment supports to affected workers. Texas Workforce Commission.
Local Workforce Solutions offices can connect displaced SMU contractors to unemployment guidance, résumé help, training, and hiring events, while ABM's careers portal lists opportunities that the company points affected employees toward. This report will be updated if SMU or ABM issues further comments.
