Half a million more construction workers needed as public money floods into infrastructure and clean energy. “When work is paid, it draws more workers into the pool,” said Jessie Hammerling, co-director of the green economy programme at UC Berkeley’s labour centre.

“Winning the election is one step, and getting the first contract will be another major battle,” said Ken Jacobs, from the Center for Labor Research and Education at University of California in Berkeley. “But I would expect after a victory at JFK8 to see much greater interest in organising among Amazon workers around the country.”

“When workers organise, we see the kinds of campaigns that Amazon has carried out in Bessemer, which are designed to instil fear,” said Ken Jacobs. “By the time you rerun an election all the damage has been done, the well’s already been poisoned.”