Precarious employment in academia: Why is there no labor union in academia?
Why is there no labor union in academia?


Some universities have unions, others do not.  The scope of the unions varies.


  Why is there no movement inside academia trying to change this?


Many people support changing academia, so the premise of this question is wrong.  The reality is that change is hard, especially when the old system obtains lots of cheap labor.  


  how successful have they been in the past?


Unionization usually results in an increase in pay and job security, but the change is small.  

For problems 1-5, the solution is simple:  Don't get a PhD.  As long as many people try to get PhDs, economic forces will encourage these problems to persist.