Sammy said:
Maybe something like the requiring the type of contract the players have to sign to get strike pay or the refusal to pay Ray the $$ that are due to him?
Strike pay isn't part of a Standard Players Contract.
The NHLPA has a Strike Fund, from which monies are drawn from. It's strictly a Contingency Fund in the event of a labour dispute for related expenses. Legal fees, travel and hotel costs, for example, are more than likely covered by it.
Issuance of Strike Pay is not automatic, as it is contingent upon sufficient funds. As such, it is not a player income insurance plan. The NHLPA executive (duly elected by their peers) has the authority to set the parameters. Start dates, end dates, amounts, and who qualifies for stipends are all decided upon by the executive with input, of course, from the general membership and legal counsel.
Rob Ray had the option at any point in his career to drop his union membership, as it is not a requirement to play in the NHL. He chose to remain a member. And by remaining a member as long as he did, no doubt he had an understanding of the NHLPA's structure and bylaws.
As a NHLPA member, Ray also had the option of running for a union executive position with a campaign platform of "Strike Pay for Scabs," but something tells me he wouldn't have been successful.
Ray effectively abdicated his membership by stating and then refusing to retract his intent to cross a picket line. Even though there are no replacement games as of yet, there is still an ongoing lockout. Thus, the picket line exists.
The NHLPA doesn't "owe" Rob Ray a thin dime of lockout pay.